It is not rare. It is just cooked. Tetragonia tetragonioides is known as NZ spinach or kōkihi. It is one of New Zealand’s most famous native edible plants. It was used by Māori as a green vegetable. Later, European settlers used it as a substitute for spinach. The leaves are thick, fleshy, and triangular. They are bright green. They are succulent, storing water. The stems are sprawling. They spread across the ground. The flowers are small and yellow. They are inconspicuous. The fruit is a small, hard capsule. Kōkihi grows in coastal areas. On sand dunes. In saltmarshes. On disturbed ground. It tolerates salt spray. It tolerates drought. It tolerates poor soil. The name kōkihi is the Māori name. The plant was gathered from the coast and eaten as a green vegetable. It was cooked, never raw. The leaves contain oxalates that can irritate the mouth. The species is native to New Zealand and other southern lands. It has naturalised in many parts of the world. This includes Europe and North America. It is grown as a vegetable in gardens. During World War II, NZ spinach was promoted as a substitute for regular spinach. Regular spinach was in short supply. The plant was easy to grow. It tolerated heat. It did not bolt. In gardens, Tetragonia tetragonioides is valued as a summer green. It thrives in hot, dry conditions where spinach fails. The leaves are cooked like spinach. They have a mild flavour. The plant is not threatened. It is common. It is widespread. Kōkihi is a reminder. A native plant that became a global vegetable. From the coasts of New Zealand to gardens around the world. To find NZ spinach is to walk the coastal dunes and disturbed ground. Look for the sprawling stems. Look for the thick, triangular leaves. It is a plant of the harsh places. A survivor of the salt and sun. Populations are common along coastlines throughout New Zealand. Also found in Australia, Japan, Chile, and elsewhere. Naturalised in many parts of the world. No significant threats. May be outcompeted by exotic plants in some coastal areas.