Root vegetables are easy to grow and have many health benefits. I would hope at least most have heard and even eaten the common varieties such as potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, onions and shallots, radishes, sweet potatoes and yams. All hearty, healthy, and a great addition to many recipes.
Would you believe that there are other varieties as well that you may not know about? What about Celery Root, Skirret, Oca, Chinese Artichoke, Parsley Root, Daikon, Salsify, and Jerusalem Artichoke? Those are the ones we are going to talk about here today.
Why Root Veggies?
The fact that they are easy to grow and the amazing amounts of health benefits can you get from root vegetables should be reason enough. Also, there is the fiber and carbohydrates that everyone thinks about when thinking about root veggies.
Additionally, you can get a dose of Vitamin A to boost your immune system, as well as the B Vitamins – good for healthy cells including the growth of red blood cells, energy levels, eyesight, brain function, and digestion. Then there’s the folate which helps cell growth, including in red blood cells, as well as preventing or treating anemia.
Antioxidants reduce the risk of many diseases by scavenging the body of free radicals and reducing the damage caused by oxidation in the cells. Add in manganese which helps in digestion by breaking down proteins, carbs, and cholesterol so that our bodies can absorb what is needed.
All in all, root veggies help improve digestion as well as help with blood sugar management, and fighting inflammation, they help boost immunity and can help with weight loss.
Need more reasons to eat root veggies? Well then, let’s take a look at the different types of lesser-known root veggies and find reasons to give them a try.
Jerusalem Artichoke
The Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunchokes or Sunroots in the US, are tubers that grow under the sunflower plant in the picture above and are native to the Americas. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw they are crunchy and have a sweet nutty flavor. They have even been compared to chestnuts or mild-flavored radishes. Cooked they taste like an artichoke and potato combined together.
They are very high in fiber, so while they are very healthy, you might want to be careful about eating too much as they can cause flatulence. Also, those who suffer from a sensitive stomach may want to avoid them. And if you do eat them, how do you fix them? They can be eaten raw but most cook them. Boiled, roasted (crispy skin and creamy inside), add them to soups or stews, mash them, it’s up to you.
Skirret
Skirret is a root vegetable that was all but forgotten until recently. It was quite popular in Europe but seems to have gotten lost in the mix by the 20th century. There have been those around, however, that have rediscovered it and are working to bring it back.
Skirret is a root that grows with a single plant on the top but a bunch of roots underneath, that can be pulled apart and replanted as new plants. With that being said, it can be multiplied year after year to keep the plant growing.
It needs to be cooked as the roots tend to be too tough to eat raw. The taste and texture seem most relatable to a carrot and potato, sweet with a starchy flesh.
Celery Root
Celery root while it has a similar flavor, is not the same plant or the root of the soup ingredient favorite we all know. Also known as celeriac, it is a root vegetable that does have a similar flavor and scent, but the similarities end there. Celeric has a much nutty eartier flavor and as the water content is much lower, the texture is more dense like a potato. This makes it perfect to prepare like mashed potatoes or by roasting or pureeing.
Celeriac is high in Vitamin B6, C, and K and is also a great source of fiber and carbs making it a great substitute for potatoes.
Celery root, like carrots, are very versitile. Clean them up and then you can shred or slice them and eat them raw, boil them, roast them or throw them in a stew. Find your favorite ways to eat them.
Chinese Artichoke
Also known as charogi, betony, or crosne, these little tubers called Chinese Artichokes grow at the base of plants that look very similar to mint but without the strong smell. You can leave them in the ground until you are ready to eat them, even over winter them and they will continue to grow next year.
Very fibrous, these little gems are high in water content as well. Their nutritional values are a good source of folate, vitamins C and K, manganese and magnesium, and folate. Fun, tasty, and nutritious.
What can you do with these fun little roots? Anything. They can be eaten raw, pickled, boiled, roasted, fried, added to soups, salads, stews, canned, or even dried. They are making a comeback with chefs in upscale restaurants as the current generation learns what a wonderful veggy Chinese Artichokes actually are.
Parsley Root
Also known as Hamburg parsley, Parsley Root is a winter veggy grown for its large taproot. With its sweet nutty flavor, the popular Medieval Vegetable has all but been lost in the 20th century.
Yes, this is the same plant that we get our parsley leaves from but we seem to have forgotten that the root is also not only tasty but healthy as well. It was even used in the past, yes, the Medieval past, by physicians for scarlet fever and as teas for the bladder and kidneys. It is, currently noted that it is very good for the liver in addition to being low calorie and loaded with vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.
Parsley root is another root veggy like carrots. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are good boiled, masked, roasted, or added to salads, soups, or stews. Experiment and find your favorite way to prepare them for you and your family.
Daikon
A member of the radish family, Daikons are larger with a milder sweet flavor. Grown around East and South Asia, Diakon looks a bit like a white carrot but has the texture and consistency of a radish. How you cook a Diakon can both change the flavor and the consistency of this versatile vegetable.
There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says “When white radishes are in season, doctors should take a break.” Diakon should be listed as a SuperFood. It’s a low-calorie, high water content vitamin and nutrient-heavy super root that would probably be part of everyone’s diet.
Diakon can be eaten cooked or raw though if they are too large, you might want to cook them. Like many root vegetables, you can do pretty much anything with them. Boil them, mash them, add them to salads, soups, stews, or just eat them like a carrot.
Salsify
Ok. First I am not going to lie, I am a little excited that Salsify is in the Dandelion plant family as Dandelions have some amazing health benefits as well and are wonderfully edible. Salsify is also called Oyster Plant because when cooked it has a slight oyster flavor. With a thick skin and whitish flesh, it is good boiled or mashed or added to stews and soups.
To prepare Salsify for cooking, you will want to scrub it and then peel it with a sharp knife. Because it turns brown very quickly once peeled, you will want to put it in cold water with a little lemon juice right away until you are ready to cook it. Boil it until tender and ready to mash. Season to your taste. You can leave it in chunks, add it to soups or stews, or mash it.
Conclusion
So this concludes my series on Root Vegetables. If you missed the first two articles, you can find them here along with the library of my other articles including Gardening by the Moon. There is no reason that I can see why you wouldn’t want to add more root vegetables to your diet, especially trying some of these amazing forgotten and lesser-known Roots. Just because they were lost to time, doesn’t mean they aren’t still amazing.
B healthy, be well and enjoy your veggies!
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