Also known as just plain chard, swiss chard has large, fleshy but tender deep green leaves and thick, crisp stalks. Although they're unrelated, chard is similar to spinach, but with a stronger, more assertive flavour.

Different types of chard have different coloured stalks and ribs - some are white, some are a golden orange and some are red (called ruby or rhubarb chard) - there's even rainbow chard. There's very little difference in taste, but ruby and rhubarb chard can have a slightly stronger flavour.