It does taste just like spinach, but has more texture. I always wear gloves when I harvest the stinging nettle. It's amazing how short of a time you need to steam it to get rid of the sting! I love it!Those who live where there is stinging nettle owe it to themselves to try it.
It is a remarkable experience. But, you really should begin by wearing gloves until you have it on the stove. Sacrifices for servings of this invasive to N. America should be limited even if they are rewarded.
As a substitute for spinach, the plants are so on the mark, it's amazing!
Steve
Those shoots look more broad-leaved than the nettle here, which has narrower leaves. The neighbor across the street has a fairly large patch, and I might cook some when the shoots appear. It is directly adjacent to the road though, so I probably shouldn't eat too much of it. If it is like most wild greens, my stomach will only tolerate small amounts anyway without causing unpleasant side effects.
As a child, I would watch patches of nettle for caterpillars of Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, which I would then raise. They used to be quite common in my area. But in the late 90's, they did aerial spraying here to combat Gypsy Moth - which was successful. Unfortunately, it wiped out many other moths & butterflies as well - including, apparently, the local population of Milbert's.
The spraying wiped out or drove away nearly all hawk moths too - and the tomato hornworms. I think they all migrated across the lake to pester @flowerbug .