Culinary: Vegetables

Mushrooms

A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Edible mushrooms have an earthy, slightly woodsy, meaty flavor and are one of the foods that contain umami, the fifth primary taste. Chefs describe umami as a savory, brothy taste that spreads across the tongue and lingers in your mouth.

A pumpkin

A pumpkin is a cultivar of winter squash that is round with smooth, slightly ribbed skin, and is most often deep yellow to orange in coloration. The thick shell contains the seeds and pulp. pumpkins have a similar earthy sweet flavor. Some can be bitter and less enjoyable to eat on their own, which is probably why we started baking them in pies and why we've historically seasoned them with dessert spices.

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash, also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash, is a winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges on its exterior and sweet, yellow-orange flesh inside. Although considered a winter squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all summer squashes. Acorn squash is milder in taste and slightly more fibrous in texture than butternut squash: Its sweet, nutty flavor is additionally muted by the watery character of its flesh. Still, most recipes that call for acorn squash can be made with another members of the squash family, such as Hubbard or butternut.

Anaheim pepper

An Anaheim pepper is medium in size, averaging six to ten inches long. They are typically used in cooking when they are still green. You will find them under a variety of names, such as New Mexico peppers, California chili and Magdalena. If the peppers are left on the plant, they will continue to ripen to a red color.

Arugula Lettuce

Arugula has become a popular salad green, but it's not really a lettuce. Arugula is actually part of the brassica family and is closely related to mustard. Other names for arugula include "rocket" (common in England, Australia and New Zealand) or 'rucola' in Italy. Its taste is peppery and a little nutty.

Bok Choy

Bok choy, pak choi or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. Chinensis varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens. has a subtle "cabbagey" flavor that can sometimes taste like celery, and is packed full of vitamins.

Mustard greens

Brassica juncea, commonly brown mustard, Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, Oriental mustard and vegetable mustard, is a species of mustard plant. unique is their flavor. They're peppery, pungent, and a little bitter — quite similar to mustard, which makes sense since the seeds used to make mustard come from the same plant!

Broccolini

Broccolini or baby broccoli is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. It is a hybrid of broccoli and gai lan, both cultivar groups of Brassica oleracea. The name broccolini is a registered trademark of Mann Packing

Butter Lettuce

Butter lettuce has a tender texture and bright green or deep reddish-purple hue (or sometimes a combination of both). Butter lettuce is sometimes sold as a whole head with the roots still attached, which keeps the soft leaves from wilting since they're more fragile than romaine or iceberg. a variety of green lettuce that also goes by Bibb lettuce, and is closely related to Boston lettuce. Learn all about it, and use these large, delicious leaves to make lettuce wraps, salad, or add a layer to sandwiches.

Butternut Squash

Butternut squash, known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin or gramma, is a type of winter squash that grows on a vine. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has tan-yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp with a compartment of seeds in the blossom end. Sweet, moist and nutty tasting, the flavor of butternut squash is a bit like sweet potatoes—or, some say, butterscotch. Because it's so dense, you get more servings per fruit than you might with other squash varieties. The rind is edible (once cooked), but it's more commonly peeled away.

Water chestnuts

Eleocharis dulcis, the Chinese water chestnut or water chestnut, is a grass-like sedge native to Asia, tropical Africa, and Oceania. It is grown in many countries for its edible corms. The water chestnut is not a nut, but an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes, under water, in the mud.

Gourds

Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly Cucurbita and Lagenaria. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. Pretty much like less-tasty squashes—definitely more bitter. In some cases, they can have a pseudo-zucchini flavor (as zucchinis are actually squashes, if you didn't know).

Green and Red Leaf Lettuce

Green and red leaf lettuce have a subtle taste of hazelnut and are enjoyed by consumers far and wide. Tender and refreshing, its leaves are tasty in a salad and contain far more nutritional properties than other varieties of lettuce.

Green beans

Green beans are young, unripe fruits of various cultivars of the common bean, although immature or young pods of the runner bean, yardlong bean, and hyacinth bean are used in a similar way. Green beans are known by many common names, including French beans, string beans, and snap beans or simply snaps.

green onions/scallions

Green onions have a long, delicate green stem that is white near the root. They have no bulb and a mild, sweet onion flavor.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, also called German turnip, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is another cultivar of the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan. It can be eaten raw or cooked.

Lima Beans

Lima beans manage to taste regal, it holds flavor unlike some other legumes and has a velvety and buttery taste. Fresh or dried lima beans are much better than the canned version; they are much tastier and when they are well cooked, the earthy flavor and creamy texture are prominent.

Corn

Maize, also known as corn, is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The leafy stalk of the plant produces pollen inflorescences and separate ovuliferous inflorescences called ears that when fertilized yield kernels or seeds, which are fruits

Chinese Cabbage

Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as "Chinese cabbage".

Okra

Okra or Okro, Abelmoschus esculentus, known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, Southeast Asian, and South Asian origins. has a sweet, grassy flavor that takes on more depth with longer cooking and a texture that can be crisp and juicy or dense and creamy.

Jicama

Pachyrhizus erosus, commonly known as jícama, Mexican yam bean, or Mexican turnip, is the name of a native Mexican vine, although the name most commonly refers to the plant's edible tuberous root. Jícama is a species in the genus Pachyrhizus in the bean family. Its flesh is juicy and crunchy, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Some think it tastes like a cross between a potato and a pear. Others compare it to a water chestnut. Other names for jicama include yam bean, Mexican potato, Mexican water chestnut and Chinese turnip.

Patty Pan Squash

Pattypan squash comes in white, yellow, orange, light green, dark green, and multicolored varieties.[2] The squash is most tender when immature. In fine cuisine, its tender flesh is sometimes scooped out and mixed with flavorings, such as garlic, prior to reinsertion; the scooped-out husk of a pattypan is also sometimes used as a decorative container for other foods. Pattypan is a good source of magnesium, niacin, and vitamins A and C.[1] One cup contains approximately 20 to 30 calories and no fat. It is often sliced, baked,[2] or coated and fried until golden brown, or simply boiled. In Polish and Ukrainian cuisine, they are pickled in sweet vinegar.[1]

Radicchio

Radicchio is a perennial cultivated form of leaf chicory sometimes known as Italian chicory because of its common use in Italian cuisine. It is grown as a leaf vegetable and usually has colorful white-veined red leaves that form a head. Radicchio has a bitter and spicy taste which mellows if it is grilled or roasted.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is the fleshy, edible stalks of species and hybrids of Rheum in the family Polygonaceae, which are cooked and used for food. The whole plant - a herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes - is also called rhubarb. Historically, different plants have been called "rhubarb" in English. Raw rhubarb has a very tart taste that most people find unpleasant. For this reason, it's almost always cooked with sugar to counteract the sour flavor.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine or cos lettuce is a variety of lettuce that grows in a tall head of sturdy dark green leaves with firm ribs down their centers. Unlike most lettuces, it is tolerant of heat. In North America, romaine is sold as whole heads or as "hearts" that have had the outer leaves removed and are often packaged together.

Romanesco

Romanesco broccoli is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea. First documented in Italy in the 16th century, it is chartreuse in color, and has a form naturally approximating a fractal. When compared to a traditional cauliflower, it has a firmer texture and delicate, nutty flavor.

Rutabaga

Rutabaga or swede is a root vegetable, a form of Brassica napus. Other names include Swedish turnip, neep, rwden/rwdins, and turnip - however, elsewhere the name "turnip" usually refers to the related white turnip. The species Brassica napus originated as a hybrid between the cabbage and the turnip.

Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash or vegetable spaghetti is a group of cultivars of Cucurbita pepo subsp. pepo. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, including ivory, yellow and orange, with orange having the highest amount of carotene. Its center contains many large seeds.

Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either fresh, or after storage using preservation techniques by canning, freezing, or dehydration

Swede

Swede is a root vegetable, a form of Brassica napus. Other names include Swedish turnip, neep, rwden/rwdins, and turnip - however, elsewhere the name "turnip" usually refers to the related white turnip. The species Brassica napus originated as a hybrid between the cabbage and the turnip. It has the sweetness of a carrot, the tartness of a radish and the texture of a turnip (another vegetable that gets a bad press!) When roasted it's flesh goes a deeper orange and it becomes sweeter, a bit like butternut squash, with a nutty, buttery flavor. It's absolutely delicious.

Leeks

The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of Allium ampeloprasum, the broadleaf wild leek. The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus Allium also contains the onion, garlic, shallot, scallion, chive, and Chinese onion. Tasting them, you can tell. They have a sweet, oniony flavor that adds depth to soups, stews, pastas, and more!

Onions

The onion, also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2010. Its close relatives include garlic, scallion, leek, and chive

Peas

The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and develop from the ovary of a flower. Although the flavour will vary from variety to variety, the overall consensus is that peas are dual action having both sweet and savoury notes. They are dominant in green flavour components.

Potatoes

The potato is a starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern United States to southern Chile.

Shallots

The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion. Until 2010, the shallot was classified as a separate species, Allium ascalonicum. The taxon was synonymized with Allium cepa in 2010, as the difference was too small to justify a separate species.

Snap Peas

The snap pea, also known as the sugar snap pea, is an edible-pod pea with rounded pods and thick pod walls, in contrast to snow pea pods, which are flat with thin walls. The name mangetout can apply to snap peas and snow peas.

Snow Peas

The snow pea is an edible-pod pea with flat pods and thin pod walls. It is eaten whole, with both the seeds and the pod, while still unripened. are mildly flavored and can be served raw or cooked.

Sweet potato

The sweet potato or sweetpotato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young shoots and leaves are sometimes eaten as greens.

Turnip

The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshy taproot. The word turnip is a compound of turn as in turned/rounded on a lathe and neep, derived from Latin napus, the word for the plant.

Zucchini

The zucchini, courgette or baby marrow is a summer squash, a vining herbaceous plant whose fruit are harvested when their immature seeds and epicarp are still soft and edible. It is closely related, but not identical, to the marrow; its fruit may be called marrow when mature. The skin of the zucchini tastes rather grassy and earthy, and it's really the flesh of the fruit that contains most of the flavor. The inner part of the zucchini is slightly sweet with a relatively mild flavor and has a more prominent taste when cooked

Yam

Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea that form edible tubers. Yams are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in many temperate and tropical regions, especially in West Africa, South America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Oceania. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams have an earthy, neutral taste. They can be mildly sweet but mostly take on the flavor of the seasonings used in the dish. Yams must be cooked before eating because they are toxic when eaten raw.

Chicory

a bitter herb whose root was ground to serve as a replacement for coffee during the Civil War. a family of hardy and bitter-flavored leafy vegetables that are closely related to lettuce and come into season in the late fall. In salads, they pair well with rich cheeses, nuts, and fruits—but their hardiness also lends themselves to sautéed and roasted applications.

Squash

a genus of herbaceous vegetables in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae native to the Andes and Mesoamerica. Five species are grown worldwide for their edible vegetable, variously known as squash, pumpkin, or gourd, depending on species, variety, and local parlance, and for their seeds. Most squash varieties have a mild, nutty flavor and silky texture. As a result, they're usually treated like vegetables in cooking. However, squash is technically a fruit.

Broccoli Raab

a green cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli, but do not form a large head. Rapini is known for its slightly bitter taste, and is particularly associated with Mediterranean cuisine.

Chard

a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf blade; the Cicla Group is the leafy spinach beet. The large, firm leaves are mild, sweet, earthy and just slightly bitter; on the whole, it's a bit milder than spinach. The stalks -- which can be white, yellow, red, purple, pink, striped and so on -- resemble flat celery with a sweet taste slightly reminiscent of beets. Why is it sometimes called Swiss chard?

Collard Greens

a group of certain loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea, the same species as many common vegetables, including cabbage and broccoli. Collard is a member of the Viridis Group of Brassica oleracea.

Brussels Sprouts

a member of the Gemmifera cultivar group of cabbages, grown for its edible buds. The leaf vegetables are typically 1.5-4.0 cm in diameter and resemble miniature cabbages. The Brussels sprout has long been popular in Brussels, Belgium, from which it gained its name. taste sweet, nutty and give a smoky flavor when cooked properly in olive oil or butter, Brussels sprouts have a sweet, nutty, smoky flavor taste that's hard to resist.

Endive Lettuce

a nutritious leafy green that comes from the chicory plant family. It's used in many dishes, mainly salads (like this endive watercress salad). It can be roasted, grilled or braised to create a hearty texture and tart, buttery flavor.

Asparagus

a perennial flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus. Its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. It was once classified in the lily family, like the related Allium species, onions and garlic. a subtle sweet-bitter taste combined with an earthy grass flavor. There are various kinds of asparagus. Each type has a slightly different flavor.

Aubergene (eggplant)

a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. Typically used as a vegetable in cooking, it is a berry by botanical definition. Eggplant has a flavor similar to summer squash or zucchini: tender, mild, and sweet with a slight vegetal bitterness. Eggplant will absorb the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. Its texture is firm and spongy when raw, and meltingly tender when cooked (especially fried, smoked, or braised).

Cress

a rather fast-growing, edible herb. Garden cress is genetically related to watercress and mustard, sharing their peppery, tangy flavour and aroma.

Daikon

a root vegetable similar in shape to a large carrot with a flavor that's similar to a mild red radish. It's grown in many Asian countries, and in Japan, it's the most commonly eaten vegetable

Garlic

a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Welsh onion and Chinese onion. very unique flavor.

Avocado

a tree originating in the Americas which is likely native to the highland regions of south-central Mexico to Guatemala. It is classified as a member of the flowering plant family Lauraceae. The fruit of the plant, also called an avocado, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed. Avocados have a slightly nutty or buttery taste depending on ripeness and the variety. Their overall flavor is muted and not overwhelming. Some say that avocados have an earthy or grassy taste as well. They overall have a smooth, creamy texture that makes them blend well into many dishes.

Green Cabbage

a variety of the plant species Brassica oleracea. Savoy cabbage is a winter vegetable and one of several cabbage varieties. It is named after the Savoy region in France. It has crinkled, emerald green leaves. The leaves are crunchy and tender. has a light, peppery flavor when eaten raw, which mellows when cooked. The leaves can be thinly sliced and eaten raw in a slaw or they can be tossed into soups or stir-fries. Green cabbage also holds up well when sliced in thick wedges and roasted or grilled until the edges get smoky and charred.

Kale

ale, or leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage cultivars grown for their edible leaves, although some are used as ornamentals. Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head. generally has a strong taste, one that is emphasized by crunchy, tough leaves. It's an earthy flavor that doesn't have the herb-like quality of spinach or the zest of arugula. Younger kale leaves are thin and mild. If you want to use mature kale in a salad, consider blending it with other leafy greens.

Celeriac

also called celery root, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery, is a variety of celery cultivated for its edible stem or hypocotyl, and shoots. Celeriac is like a root vegetable except it has a bulbous hypocotyl with many small roots attached. has a subtle, celery-like flavour, with nutty overtones. Try it as mash, in big-flavoured, slow-cook dishes, or in its classic form, and as they do in France, as a remoulade.

Broccoli

an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Raw broccoli is very crunchy with a vegetal, slightly sweet and slightly bitter flavor. It differs greatly in flavor from cooked broccoli, which is often sweeter. Depending on the cook time and method, cooked broccoli can be very tender, crisp-tender, or still crunchy.

Greens

are plant leaves eaten as a vegetable, sometimes accompanied by tender petioles and shoots.

bell peppers, sweet peppers

bell pepper is the fruit of plants in the Grossum cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent chili varieties as "sweet peppers".

Purple Cabbage

is a kind of cabbage, also known as Blaukraut after preparation. Its leaves are colored dark red/purple. However, the plant changes its color according to the pH value of the soil, due to a pigment belonging to anthocyanins.

Radish

is an edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, being mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable with a pungent flavor. Radishes are crisp and crunchy with a pungent, peppery flavor. There are varying degrees of "spiciness" based on when they're grown, as well as actual size of the radish. Larger radishes are typically spicier, and radishes grown in hotter temperatures are normally spicier as well.

Cauliflower

one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea in the genus Brassica, which is in the Brassicaceae family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten - the edible white flesh sometimes called "curd". The overall taste of cauliflower can be described as a little nutty and a little sweet. It has a crunchy texture, and the taste is mild enough to blend well with many other dishes.

Parsnips

parsnip is a root vegetable closely related to carrot and parsley, all belonging to the flowering plant family Apiaceae. It is a biennial plant usually grown as an annual. Its long taproot has cream-colored skin and flesh, and, left in the ground to mature, it becomes sweeter in flavor after winter frosts.

Carrots

s a root vegetable, typically orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia.

Beet

s the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in North America as beets while the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English, and also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet. beets taste like earth: a sort of rich, earthy flavor. To someone who knows the right way to spice things up with beet, beets taste sweet, while to the haters, beets taste like dirt.

Tomatillo

tomatillo, also known as the Mexican husk tomato, is a plant of the nightshade family bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos originated in Mexico and were cultivated in the pre-Columbian era. have a slightly more acidic, slightly less sweet flavor than ripe and unripe tomatoes. Overall, the flavor is more vegetal and bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery. Prepping a tomatillo is pretty straight forward. The husks can be easily removed with your hands and discarded.

Tomato

tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derived. tomato flavor is commonly described as sweet, tart, tangy or balanced. Tomato flavor is sometimes also described as "classic tomato flavor" or "old-fashioned tomato flavor." And the flavor of some tomatoes is described as mild or bland.

Artichoke

variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food. The edible portion of the plant consists of the flower buds before the flowers come into bloom. When eaten raw, artichokes retain a much firmer texture and a bitter taste. Cooking both softens the texture and produces a blender flavor making it similar to boiled potatoes. As for whether you'll like artichokes or not - they have a similar taste to asparagus and brussels sprouts with a mild nutty flavor

Cucumbers

widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as vegetables. Considered an annual plant, there are three main varieties of cucumber — slicing, pickling, and burpless/seedless — within which several cultivars have been created