Clear Answers for Common Questions

When is a root vegetable not a root vegetable? When it's a small bulbous member of the cabbage family called kohlrabi, that's when. For all intents and purposes, kohlrabi appears to be a root vegetable in the same company as turnips, radishes and rutabagas. However, the bulbous shape ...

Broccoli raab is a leafy green in the turnip family. It is also known as Brassica rapa, or broccoli rabe, rapini, rape, and rapa. The plant is cultivated for its tender stalks, florets, and leaves, all of which can be eaten. The bitter, intense flavor is very popular in Italy ...

Broccoli Romanesco is a garden vegetable in the Brassica family, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, kale, and numerous other edible plants. This unusual looking vegetable can be found in some grocery stores, and can also be grown in the garden if you live in a temperate zone ...

Cabbage is a popular vegetable that is a relative to mustard greens and also to the turnip family. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea, and within this group there are two main varieties: early and late. Early cabbage reaches maturity in just over 40 days and has a small, tight ...

Broccolini®, known in Europe as asparation and in the United States as baby broccoli, is a trademark of the Mann Produce Company, which developed the hybrid between broccoli and gai lan, also known as Chinese kale. The unique vegetable resembles broccoli or asparagus in physical appearance, with long stalks ...

Okra is a plant native to Ethiopia, where it has been cultivated and used for centuries. This vegetable is in common use in many African nations, and also in the American South, thanks to seeds carried to the United States by slaves. Many people associate it with Southern cuisine, and ...

When people refer to an artichoke in cooking, they tend to mean the globe artichoke, of the thistle family. Two other artichokes, the Jerusalem and the Chinese, are also eaten, but they are vastly different from the globe. The Jerusalem is a form of daisy, and the root or tuber ...

Kale is an archaic type of cabbage that grows loosely furled leaves, rather than forming a head. The leaves have a distinctive ruffly appearance that distinguishes the plant from a close relative, collard greens. This vegetable tends to be a little bit bitter in flavor, although this bitterness is tempered ...

Anise or aniseed, which has the scientific name Pimpinella anisum, is an herb that comes from the family Apiaceae, or carrot family. This herb is most well known for its aromatic seeds. The taste of the seeds resembles that of fennel, which comes from the same family; or licorice, which ...

Widely grown in Europe for its root, chicory is a Mediterranean herb used as a coffee filler or substitute. In North America, this plant, also known as blue-sailors, grows wild. It is a blue-flowered herb with a long white root. The leaves of the plant are known as ...

A flowering leek is a member of the onion family which has been bred to produce distinctive bulb-like flowers on the end of narrow, firm stalks. The plant is also sometimes called a Chinese chive, Chinese flowering leek, or garlic leek. As the alternate names suggest, flowering leeks are ...

Leeks are root vegetables that look quite similar to onions, to which they are related. Their flavor is onion-like but much milder. People who avoid this vegetable because they don't like onions should try them — their flavor is mellow and not overpowering, and many onion-haters enjoy ...

Spinach is a dark green leafy vegetable native to Southeast Asia. This crop has been used as a source of food for centuries in Asia, and it had reached Europe by the eighth century CE, ensuring that spinach would follow along on the ride to the New World. Most markets ...

Gai-lan or kai-lan is called alternately Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, and is of the species and genus Brassica oleracea. It is unknown where it was first cultivated but it is used in many Asian countries, particularly in Viet Nam and China. It does look somewhat similar to ...

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria sativa) is a leafy green herb of the mustard family. Known also as rocket, Italian cress, roquette, and rucola, it has elongated dark green leaves that are lobed like the leaves of an oak. In the ground, the plant resembles a loose lettuce with long, slender leaves ...

Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea; Gemmifera group) look and taste like tiny cabbages, with a diameter of about 1 inch (2.54 cm). Known to the French as choux de Bruxelles, they are hugely popular in Great Britain, where consumption far exceeds that of the United States. The exact origins of ...

Zucchini is a type of summer squash. You may also know it as a “courgette,” depending on where in the world you live. This hardy squash grows readily in a range of environments, and it has a broad assortment of uses, from sweet zucchini bread to raw “pasta” made from ...

Bac ha is the Vietnamese name for an Asian vegetable which is known by a variety of names in English including taro stem and elephant ear. The scientific name for the plant is Alocasia odora. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, and is available at Asian markets and specialty ...

Italian flat beans are a form of bean with broad, flattened pods. They strongly resemble common green beans, except that they tend to be larger and flatter. Many cooks use them interchangeably with string or green beans, and some Italian recipes call specifically for the use of these beans. Specialty ...

For anyone who is fond of the Western style green beans, encountering the Chinese long bean may seem like discovering a super bean. Flavorful and easy to prepare, they can be a great way to get away from the same old green vegetables and add some variety to everyday meals ...

Pole beans are beans which are bred to grow in the form of vines which cling to poles or trellises. Their growth habit makes them very easy to harvest, and many commercial bean producers grow pole beans for this very reason. These beans are also very easy to grow at ...

Romano beans are a form of flat snap bean which originated in Italy. Many Italians cook with these beans when they are in season during the summer months, and they are also cultivated in other regions of the world. Specialty grocers and farmers' markets sometimes carry them in the summer ...

Pea shoots are the young top leaves and tips of vines on a pea plant. They are usually sold in Asian markets or grocery stores as dou miao. Pea shoots have a mild pea flavor and are served fresh, in salads or steamed and stir-fried as part of Asian ...

Pak wan is a woody perennial shrub found in many parts of Southeast Asia. The leaves and stalks of this plant are edible, and especially popular in Thai cuisine, although they are also used in Malaysia and Indonesia. Pak wan is both crisp and tender, and the dark green leaves ...

Escarole is a form of endive that is both versatile and tasty. Sometimes referred to as broad chicory or common chicory and characterized by broad outer leaves, this member of the chicory clan does have a slightly bitter taste, but much less so than many other forms of endive. With ...

Chard is a relative of beets, and the leaves of the two plants look very similar. This plant, however, has been bred to have highly nutritious and flavorful leaves at the expense of the root, which is not edible. The most common type under cultivation is Swiss chard, which has ...

Beets are edible plants native to the Mediterranean. They are grown all over the world, since they are easy to grow and they thrive in most climates, although they do not appreciate extreme cold or heat. Beets tend to be readily available in canned form in many grocery stores, and ...

Choy sum is a Chinese phrase meaning “stems and flowers.” It is used to refer to a flowering vegetable closely related to bok choy which produces thick, crunchy stalks, yellow flowers, and lush green leaves. It is used in a variety of Chinese foods, usually stir fries and soups, and ...

Mesclun is a mixture of young greens. In addition to including lettuce, it may have things like spinach along with savory chicory and sometimes edible flowers as well. Many cultures have a tradition consuming this mixture, especially in the spring, when fresh new growth can be very refreshing after a ...

Sorrel, is a green leafy plant used in cooking. There are many related plants that use this term as part of their names, but only two are normally used in the kitchen. Garden or common sorrel has large leaves and is often harvested from the wild. French sorrel has smaller ...

Monk's beard, also called agretti or Barba di Frate, Beard of the Friar, refers to the leaves of the plant Salsola soda, which are eaten as a leafy green vegetable, especially in places like Tuscany. The plant is native to Europe, and it’s a fairly invasive species, which ...

Hungarian wax peppers are a variety of chili pepper developed in Hungary, home of paprika, another notable pepper product. These peppers are also known as hot yellow peppers or hot wax peppers, and they closely resemble the banana pepper, a relative in the pepper family. They can be used in ...

Peppers can be split into two groups: sweet and hot. The second group may also be referred to as chiles or chili peppers. They are a New World food, first noted by Europeans during Columbus’ voyage to the West Indies. Peppers were also found in abundance across South America, Central ...

The cherry pepper is a small, sweet, and mild to medium pepper that derives its name from its shape and appearance. When fully ripe cherry peppers are a luscious bright red, delightfully round and about the size of a cherry tomato. Most cherry peppers are no more than an inch ...

Edamame is a popular Asian food that has caught on in other parts of the world as well. It is made from soybeans that are harvested before they start to harden, and then quickly parboiled and frozen to retain their fresh flavor. There are a number of ways to eat ...

Cauliflower is a vegetable in the Brassica oleracea species, which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi. All of these plants are actually variants of the same species, and cauliflower is formally known as Brassica oleracea var. botrytis. Like other vegetables in this group, which is part of the ...

Broccoflower™ (pronounced “BRAHK-uh-flower”) is the trademark name owned by California growers Tanimura & Antle, used exclusively for their version of green cauliflower, a cauliflower-broccoli cross. Tanimura & Antle’s Broccoflower™, grown and sold by other growers as simply “green cauliflower,” bears the assets of both of its ...

Mustard is a plant in the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae family, which includes the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. The family is sometimes referred to as the mustard family, and the plants in it are often rich in vitamin C, as well as recommended for their cancer ...

Baby broccoli, also known as asparation or broccolini, is a hybrid cross of broccoli and Chinese kale. It often appears in side dishes at white tablecloth restaurants, and is also used by some home cooks who want to experiment with new and different vegetables. The price is often comparable to ...

Chinese broccoli is a dark green leafy vegetable in the Brassica oleracea group, which includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower. The plant goes by a number of aliases, many of them variations on gai lan, the Chinese name for the vegetable, such as gai lon, kat na, jie ...

Romaine lettuce, also known as cos lettuce, is a type of lettuce (and a vegetable) that is characterized by dark green leaves that grow upright and curl inward from lighter colored stems. These leaves are particularly fragile compared to other types of lettuce and are often damaged in shipment, making ...

Iceberg lettuce is a variety of crisphead lettuce which is widely consumed across the world. It is characterized by tightly furled, crunchy leaves and a mild, sometimes watery flavor. There are many uses for iceberg lettuce, including salads, some ethnic cuisine, and garnishes. Many grocers carry iceberg lettuce, and it ...

Head lettuce, also known as iceberg lettuce, is a dense rosette of leaves that forms a tight ball about the size of a human head. Although head lettuce contains fewer nutrients than leafy romaine lettuce, it is a favorite staple vegetable for its texture and sweetness. An annual crop that ...

Lamb's lettuce is a flavorful salad green native to the temperate zones of Europe. In addition to being found in the wild in many parts of Europe, the green is also sold in markets, especially in the spring, when the tender young shoots are the most flavorful. Outside of ...

Salad greens are leafy greens which are used to make salads. Lettuce is a common and well known example of a salad green, but other greens ranging from arugula to mustard greens can appear in salads. Many cultures have along history of the cultivation and collection of greens for use ...

Radichetta is a leafy green vegetable in the chicory family. Like other members of this family, radichetta has a distinctive slightly bitter flavor, which increases with the age of the plant. This plant is very easy to grow, thriving even in cold climates, and large greengrocers and markets may also ...

Frisee is a type of chicory that has exploded onto gourmet plates. The exotic plant resembles a lettuce gone horribly awry, with a pale green explosion of frizzy leaves that adds a frisky note to green salads. Some consumers are radically opposed to frisee, while others adore the bitter and ...

Sometimes referred to as cooking chrysanthemums, chrysanthemum greens are simply the green leaves that are part of the garland chrysanthemum, a plant that has several edible portions. The greens of the plant can be used in cooked dishes as well as being an excellent ingredient in a number of tossed ...

Radicchio is an Italian salad plant related to chicory. The distinctive plant grows in a rich maroon color with white veins and has a peppery flavor that adds a textural bite to salads. Radicchio is sometimes grilled or roasted, making a pleasant counterpoint to other grilled vegetables. It is growing ...

Holland greens are a popular member of the brassica rapa family of greens, with a leaf that is relatively sturdy and ideal for cooking. This particular type of brassica green is created as a hybrid blend of the Chinese cabbage and the stubble turnip. Just as is true with several ...

Mâche is a leafy green which comes in two distinct cultivars: shell and blonde. Depending on the cultivar, mâche may have small scooped leaves which are dark green and almost velvety in texture, or the leaves may be elongated and pale green. Both varietals are used in both raw and ...

Asparagus chicory is a bitter leafy green from Italy which is used in both cooked and raw forms. It can sometimes be difficult to find outside of Italy, except from specialty growers, but since the plant is extremely hardy and easy to grow, it can easily be cultivated at home ...