Look at the amaranth:
on tall mountains it grows,
on the very stones and rocks
and places inaccessible…”Amarantos” an old Greek folk song
If you are in Greece and if you like boiled greens, be sure to ask for vlita when you order in a Greek restaurant. It is served in many restaurants, especially in the villages. Vlita is a delicious green, rather mild tasting and not quite as bitter as dandelion greens. Add some olive oil and either vinegar or lemon juice and eat it either hot or room temperature.
Vlita has a rich history in Greek cuisine.
The word amaranth comes from the Greek word amarantos, meaning “unwithering”. Amaranth did not wither fast and so symbolized immortality. “Amarant” is a more correct form, chiefly used in poetry.
In ancient Greece the amaranth (also called chrysanthemum and helichrysum) was sacred to Ephesian Artemis. It was supposed to have special healing properties, and as a symbol of immortality was used to decorate images of the gods and tombs. In legend, Amarynthus (a form of Amarantus) was a hunter of Artemis and king of Evia; in a village of Amarynthus, of which he was the eponymous hero, there was a famous temple of Artemis Amarynthia or Amarysia.
It was also widely used by the Chinese for it’s healing chemicals, curing illnesses such as infections, rashes, and migraines.
Vlita is know in the U.S. as Palmer amaranth and is considered a weed. The original spelling is amarant; the more common spelling amaranth seems to have evolved from that.
Sources:
About Greek Food: http://greekfood.about.com/od/greekfoodphotogalleries/ig/Greek-Ingredient-Photos/Vlita.htm
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amaranth
Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide: http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/amapa.htm