What it means
اسفناج (esfenâj) is the Persian word for spinach. The etymology of this word is often misunderstood: اسفناج is not a borrowing from Arabic. The direction runs the other way. A Middle Persian form, ispanâg or ispinâg, is the original source. Arabic borrowed it as esfânâkh, and from Arabic it traveled into Old Occitan, Old French, and eventually English spinach and Spanish espinaca. Modern Persian اسفناج continues the Middle Persian heritage, not the Arabic form. In everyday use, اسفناج is the only standard word for spinach and is used in all contexts without variation.
How to use it
- اسفناج رو خوب بشور قبل از پختن. (Esfenâj ro khub beshu qabl az pokhtan.) “Wash the spinach well before cooking.”
- خورشت اسفناج با برنج عالیه. (Khoresh-e esfenâj bâ berenj âliye.) “Spinach stew with rice is great.”
- یه دسته اسفناج میخوام. (Ye daste esfenâj mikhâm.) “I want a bunch of spinach.”
- اسفناج ویتامین زیادی داره. (Esfenâj vitâmin ziâdi dâre.) “Spinach has a lot of vitamins.”
Cultural note
Spinach is a common vegetable in Iranian kitchens, most famously used in خورشت اسفناج (khoresh-e esfenâj), a stew cooked with lamb or chicken, dried fruit, and saffron. It also appears in egg dishes, soups, and mixed herb preparations. The vegetable is available year-round at Iranian markets and is considered a budget-friendly and nutritious staple. The word’s journey from Middle Persian into Arabic and then into European languages is one example of how Iranian culture shaped vocabulary far beyond the Persian-speaking world.