Product Review

Ruby Red Swiss chard was introduced to the United States in 1857. In spite of the name, Swiss chard originates in the Mediterranean region, where professional and home chefs alike use it for salad greens or as a flavoring in soup or rice. The first written mention of this vegetable in the United States is in The American Farmer magazine, where Baltimore farmer Gideon Smith reported his experimental planting. It remained a curiosity until after the Civil War, when gradually it gained in popularity.