Savoy Cabbage vs. Savoy Spinach: The Jeopardy Question Explained

The Gritty Truth About Savoy Leaves

A Jeopardy clue asked about washing grit from "curly- as well as smooth-leaved variety of this savoy vegetable." The contestant answered "cabbage," but the correct response was "spinach." Here's why.

Why Spinach Traps More Grit

Dr. Wayne McLaurin explains that spinach leaves are more open and grow closer to the ground than cabbage. Once cabbage forms a head, wrapper leaves block most debris. Jim Fizzell notes in Midwest Fruit & Vegetable Book that cabbages may be green or red, smooth or savoy (wrinkled), while spinach leaves are either savoyed or smooth. Savoyed spinach has puckered leaves that catch grit from rain or watering—grit that often won't wash out completely. Commercial growers avoid this by planting on grit-free muck soils.

Although "savoy" is commonly associated with cabbage, the Jeopardy clue pointed to spinach by linking grit with both curly and smooth leaves.