{"id":5174,"date":"2022-09-10T06:58:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T06:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hellawella.com\/?p=5174"},"modified":"2022-09-10T12:58:24","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T12:58:24","slug":"10-unusual-vegetables-we-bet-you-havent-tried","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellawella.com\/10-unusual-vegetables-we-bet-you-havent-tried\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Weird Vegetables You Didn\u2019t Know About!"},"content":{"rendered":"
Taking a walk through the produce department of your local supermarket might leave you feeling like you\u2019ve seen every type of vegetable under the sun. The dizzying array of leafy greens and root vegetables, carefully perched alongside potatoes of every shape and size!<\/p>\n
It may be tough to believe, but there are actually a ton<\/em> of other vegetable varieties out there aside from the splendor you\u2019re used to seeing in your market, so we\u2019re counting down the 20 most unusual vegetables.<\/p>\n It may be your first time hearing about a few–we\u2019re looking at you salsify! Or, as in the case of ramps, maybe you hear the hubbub about them every spring but still<\/em> aren\u2019t exactly sure, what is<\/em> a ramp anyway? However deep your vegetable knowledge goes, you\u2019re sure to learn something new about a weird vegetable or two!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n These unique looking carrots are striking with their midnight-colored peel. They may look pitch black at first glance, but once you slice into them, you\u2019ll find a bright purple interior! Black\/purple carrots owe their special coloring to an increased amount of a pigmenting compound called anthocyanin<\/em>, while the more typical orange carrots have higher levels of a different compound–beta carotene<\/em>.<\/p>\n In addition to black and orange, carrots come in a rainbow of other colors. There are also red carrots, yellow carrots, and even white carrots, which are sometimes confused with the parsnips, a similar looking yet entirely different root vegetable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cassava, also known as yuca and manioc, is the edible tuber of a certain shrub-like plant, and is not to be confused with yucca<\/em> which is an entirely different plant altogether. The cassava plant thrives in dry weather, making it an important food source in many regions around the world, especially hot, dry regions of South America and Africa where many other crops struggle to get adequate water.<\/p>\n You may be unfamiliar with the cassava tuber in its whole form, but it’s likely you have encountered it in another well-known product: tapioca! Tapioca pearls and tapioca flour are both made from the cassava root. The root has a mild nutty test with a creamy texture that is more fibrous than your typical potato. It is extremely nutritious and versatile, taking well to roasting, boiling and mashing, frying, and baking. Important note: the cassava root cannot <\/em>be eaten raw as it contains cyanide, which thankfully is destroyed when cooked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With its knobby exterior and thread like roots emanating from the peel, celeriac is one crazy looking vegetable! Other common names for this bulb are celery root, turnip rooted celery, and knob celery among others.<\/p>\n The name \u201ccelery root\u201d is a misleading one though, as this vegetable is not simply the root of those celery sticks that accompany your plate of hot wings. Rather, the celeriac plant is a relative of celery, and the two share a very similar flavor–grassy yet slightly salty and savory. The texture of celery root is quite different though. When cooked, celeriac turns creamy and thick, making it an excellent low-carb substitute for potatoes and other starches.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also called a \u201cvegetable pear\u201d, the chayote squash is quite a funny looking thing with its rumpled skin and scrunchy rear end. It is about the same size and shape as a green pear (hence its secondary name), but is actually a member of the gourd family and therefore is more closely related to pumpkins, zucchini, and winter squashes. You may know that such items\u2013including our new friend the chayote!–are actually fruits in botanical terms. However, most squash and gourd species are widely considered to be members of the veggie world due to taste, appearance, and culinary uses.<\/p>\n The exterior rind of the chayote squash is bright spring green, which once cut, reveals a creamy white interior. Both the rind and flesh can be eaten and the flavor is mild enough that the chayote squash can be used in a range of savory dishes. A few popular ways of consuming this funky vegetable are shredded raw and tossed into salads, breaded and fried, or sliced and pickled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The daikon is a member of the radish family, but rather than the bright red Cherry Belle or French Breakfast radishes you\u2019re likely more familiar with, the daikon has a beautifully smooth ivory skin instead. Like other radishes, daikon is crunchy and refreshing with a flavor that may range from mild to hot and peppery, depending on the radish.<\/p>\n Once found only primarily in Asian cuisines, daikon has made its way to many other dishes and is now a fairly common sight in most grocery stores. The crunchy white root vegetable is delicious when eaten raw and is sturdy enough to stand up to all of your favorite dips!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the prize for the most uniquely named unusual vegetable goes to: fiddleheads! These spiral-like green leaves are actually the shoots of a fern, which have yet to unfurl into their full size. Fiddleheads are a bit fragile and will turn mushy when exposed to prolonged heat, so they are typically cooked quickly so as to maintain their natural crunchy yet soft texture.<\/p>\n Fiddleheads are not cultivated like many other fruits and vegetables, therefore they are most often acquired through foraging, meaning you’ll likely only ever find them in farmer\u2019s markets or small specialty stores.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also known as sunchokes, Jerusalem artichokes are some of the weirdest vegetables you\u2019ll see! They look like a cross between a potato and ginger root, yet have a rich flavor that is all their own.<\/p>\n Interestingly enough, these veggies are the tuber (root) of a specific type of sunflower, offering an explanation as to the origins of their sweet, nutty, slightly floral flavor. Sunchokes can be eaten raw, but most often are cooked and served in any manner similar to that of potatoes, such as pureed with cream and seasonings, roasted and salted, or stirred into soups.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With alternate names such as \u201cMexican yam bean\u201d and the \u201cMexican turnip\u201d, it should come as no surprise that the jicama is a staple vegetable of Mexican cooking! This root vegetable has a wonderfully sweet taste, refreshing juiciness, and a crunch that is retained whether the vegetable is served raw or cooked.<\/p>\n You may often see fresh jicama sliced into sticks for snacking served with a side of chili powder and lime for dipping, but it is also plenty delicious when stir fried, roasted, or tossed into salads.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite the sheepish name, lamb\u2019s quarters is actually an edible plant of the extremely large amaranth family. Lamb\u2019s quarters grows wildly in a great number of regions of the world and is often regarded as a weed by those who don\u2019t realize they\u2019re looking at a super nutritious wild edible!<\/p>\n With a flavor similar to that of spinach or Swiss chard, this leafy green is delicious when steamed, saut\u00e9ed in oil, stirred into soups, or blended into green juices and smoothies. The leaves of this plant have a silvery, almost velvety coating which may feel irritating to some people when eaten raw, but cooking the lamb\u2019s quarters easily rectifies this.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may have heard of the lotus flower before, or perhaps even seen one, but did you know that hidden all the way at the base of this aquatic plant lies an edible, hidden secret? The tasty root of the lotus plant stays buried in the muddy base of whatever pond or lake the plant happens to be residing in.<\/p>\n Lotus root has a creamy, starchy texture, much like other root vegetables. However, once sliced open, the lotus root reveals a special surprise: a characteristic pattern of holes boring through the tuber, creating a beautiful design that makes this veggie especially appealing when sliced!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nopales are the large paddle-shaped pads of a specific cactus species, also known as \u201copuntia\u201d or \u201cprickly pears\u201d. Their flavor is mildly tart, with a slight note of citrus and a grassiness similar to that of asparagus. The texture is crunchy yet meaty, with a mucilaginous consistency that is similar to okra.<\/p>\n Nopales are a staple food in many Mexican dishes for the fact that they make an excellent side dish or meat replacement in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and beyond. As a cactus, a covering of spikes and spines on the nopales pads comes with the territory. In order to render these scary looking vegetables edible, the spines must be carefully trimmed off of the surface before the flesh can be chopped or sliced and cooked as desired.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Oca is the edible root of an herbaceous plant in the Oxalidaceae <\/em>family, making it closely related to wood sorrel and starfruit, among others! The tuber is known for coming in a range of brilliant colors, from bright red or orange to pale yellow or peachy-pink.<\/p>\n Originally cultivated in the Andes region of South America, oca is now used as a starchy vegetable in much of the continent, as well as Central America, Europe, and New Zealand, where they are simply referred to as \u201cyams\u201d.<\/p>\n The flavor and texture of oca is most similar to that of an average potato, sporting a slightly tart flavor when enjoyed raw and turning nutty and savory when cooked. Not surprisingly, these tubers are delicious in many of the same preparations as well: roasted, baked, boiled, or fried!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking of potatoes, we have yet another unusual tuber on our list of unique vegetables: the purple sweet potato! There are actually several different types of purple sweet potatoes: Stokes, Okinawan, and Molokai to name a few.<\/p>\n These root vegetables owe their deep violet coloring to the same compounds that color other purple and red hued foods–including red wine–known as anthocyanins. These compounds are known for their antioxidant properties, meaning purple sweet potatoes are extremely<\/em> good for you. Their taste is similar to that of your standard orange\/yellow sweet potatoes, with a bit more sweetness and a slightly drier texture.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019re still confused by ramps, we don\u2019t blame you! This variety of wild onion sure doesn\u2019t make itself clear, as it looks like a scallion up top, yet produces a teardrop shaped bulb at the bottom. The distinguishing feature to look for, however, is 1 to 3 wide, flat green leaves which often blend into a splash of reddish-purple where they meet the root.<\/p>\n1. Black Carrots<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Cassava<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Celeriac<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Chayote Squash<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Daikon\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Fiddleheads<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. Jerusalem Artichokes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Jicama<\/strong><\/h3>\n
9. Lamb\u2019s Quarters<\/strong><\/h3>\n
10. Lotus Root<\/strong><\/h3>\n
11. Nopales<\/strong><\/h3>\n
12. Oca<\/strong><\/h3>\n
13. Purple Sweet Potatoes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
14. Ramps<\/strong><\/h3>\n