We could call it Eureka Silverbeet
There is no Hungarian chard or Greek chard. There is a town in County Somerset, England, named Chard, so maybe there is Chard chard. Seed catalogs I have seen offer a leafy biennial vegetable which originated in Sicily called Swiss chard. I have yet to find a source on the agriculture of Switzerland which mentions chard – just grains, potatoes, canola, apples and berries, but not chard.
There is a traditional dish from Switzerland that includes chard, and it was a 19th century botanist from Switzerland, perhaps Gaspard Bauhin, who might have determined its scientific name and then for fun added “Swiss” to its common name. Seed catalogs soon adopted that name, and we’ve been stuck with Swiss chard ever since.
Chard is a close relative of beets, and ancient folks often used the same name for both, which makes tracing its history confusing. The first reference to the chard we call chard was from Sicily, though some folks who spend their time figuring out where things come from argue that chard probably originated along the coasts of Spain and Portugal. The Italian name for chard was biete da costa, meaning beet from the coast, which indicates they thought it came from a coastal region somewhere.
Chard has been grown around the Mediterranean since antiquity. Aristotle commented on it around 350 BCE which is one more reason Aristotle and I are alike. Records indicate there have always been multi-colored varieties, notably red, green and yellow.
There is a variety called rhubarb chard because its leaves and stalk are red like a totally different plant called rhubarb which is not a chard, and rhubarb leaves are poisonous.
Chard has been known colloquially as silverbeet and a dozen other names. It grows best in spring or autumn. Seeds can be planted even a couple weeks before the last frost date if care is taken to protect the soil. Chard plants will continue producing leaves on the central stalk all year and into the second year when it will go to seed. At that point, the plant might be three feet tall and gangly with an appearance only a mother would love. However, each plant produces hundreds of seeds if you’re into that sort of thing.
Chard seedlings will transplant well if the gardener is careful, and they can abide being only 12 inches apart or closer and produce well. A typical family garden might not need many chard plants since ones that are regularly harvested will continue to produce more leaves all season. However, it is tempting to grow several colorful varieties like Ruby or Oriole Orange because gardeners are artists and chards add color.
Some folks use the very young leaves raw in mixed salads just like beet greens are used. However, chard leaves have a slight inherent bitterness that dissipates when cooked, so many expert chefs like myself prefer to steam them or add them to casseroles, like I cook casseroles. If I did, I might add chard because it is very nutritious.
Local gardeners can get ready to plant chard seeds. Like all plants in your garden, they want the best soil in the world, so do your best. Maybe plant after the next cold spell.
Lucullus chard, a traditional Dutch variety, is a green-leaf variety with a broad white mid-rib, and it handles hot weather better than other varieties. Various cuisines around the Mediterranean treat the broad mid-rib as an alternative to celery or asparagus. The leaves are also versatile and would fit in with most any recipe calling for leafy green things. It was named for a party-dude Roman general.
There are eye-catching varieties with orange-yellow stalks and green leaves. Some varieties have deep red mid-ribs and purple-red leaves. A recently introduced red-leafed variety is Vulcan chard developed in – guess where? – Switzerland! It had to happen… an actual Swiss chard!