The Victorian Oyster Plant Returns to Modern Tables
Salsify, a vegetable that was a staple on Victorian dinner tables but has been largely forgotten in British kitchen cupboards today, is experiencing a remarkable revival as major retailers like Waitrose introduce it to 100 stores across the UK. The root vegetable earned its nickname “oyster plant” because of its unique seafood-like flavor, which made it incredibly popular during the 19th century.
This unusual vegetable features a 10 to 15 cm long white-fleshed root and originated from Mediterranean Europe and North Africa. Today’s gardeners are rediscovering its beauty, particularly the white star-shaped flowers it produces, with the best flavor emerging after the first frost when the roots can be stored in cool, damp sand throughout winter. The increasing demand for traditional produce has sparked renewed interest among chefs and home cooks seeking authentic historical flavors.
Rutabaga Sheds Its Wartime Reputation
Rutabagas were once incredibly popular in West Virginia, originally promoted as winter livestock feed but widely grown for human consumption in beef stews or mashed preparations, with highland grassy sites in the Appalachian Mountains being favored farming locations during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, their reputation suffered dramatically during World War II when they became associated with food rationing and survival meals.
This nutritious root vegetable, originally from Scandinavia, served as a dietary staple during harsh winters and offers a sweet, earthy flavor that shines in mashed dishes, roasted medleys, and even baked pies, deserving a comeback for its ability to add depth and heartiness to meals. The name “rutabaga” comes from the Swedish “rotabagge,” meaning “root lump,” and this cross between cabbage and turnip is sometimes called Swedish turnip or swede.
Scorzonera: The Black Beauty with Hidden Potential
Scorzonera, also known as black salsify, belongs to the family Compositae and features a hardy plant with a black root similar to regular salsify, originating from southern Europe, the Caucasus, and southern Siberia. The name derives from Spanish “escorzonera,” from “escorzon” meaning viper, as the plant was reputed to heal viper bites, and like salsify, arrived in France from Italy at the beginning of the 17th century.
Despite its dark skin and knobby appearance that never won beauty contests, people valued this root during hard times for its nutrition and versatility, as it stayed fresh underground through winter and provided food when nothing else grew, with its rich, earthy flavor working well in stews and roasts. Modern chefs are beginning to appreciate its complex taste profile and year-round storage capabilities.
Celeriac Emerges from Culinary Obscurity
Celeriac, or celery root, may not win beauty contests with its knobby, beige appearance, but it’s a culinary gem that deserves a comeback, featuring a mild, celery-like flavor and creamy texture when cooked, having once been a staple in European kitchens and now making waves in modern cuisine. Its versatility allows it to be mashed, roasted, or grated into salads for a refreshing crunch, while being rich in fiber, vitamin K, and potassium, making it a nutrient-dense addition to modern cooking.
High-end restaurants are showcasing celeriac in sophisticated preparations, such as beautifully composed crab cakes crowned with tomato chutney and bottarga, complemented by gentle celeriac remoulade. Modern establishments are incorporating it into dishes like crispy pork belly with soy glaze, served alongside celeriac and apple preparations. Food enthusiasts are questioning why potatoes became the emperors of all roots while parsnips, celeriac, turnips, and rutabagas were ignored.
Kohlrabi: The Alien-Looking Vegetable Finding New Fans
This juicy, lightly sweet root vegetable should get more recognition despite its otherworldly appearance, featuring a round, light-green bulb with sturdy stalks and collard-like leaves sprouting directly from its perimeter. Often called a “cabbage turnip,” kohlrabi is a bulbous member of the brassica family that deserves a comeback in modern kitchens, offering a crisp texture and mildly sweet flavor that makes it versatile for raw, roasted, or sautéed preparations.
While commonly used in soups or braises, kohlrabi is even more appealing when served raw, especially during warmer months when peeled and sliced for unique crudité similar to jicama in flavor, or added to salads and slaws. Its growing popularity in farmers markets and specialty grocery stores reflects increasing consumer interest in unusual vegetables.
Jerusalem Artichoke: The Sunchoke Renaissance
The Jerusalem artichoke, also called sunroot, sunchoke, wild sunflower, topinambur, or earth apple, is a species of sunflower native to central and eastern North America that is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its edible tuber. Farmers once grew sunchokes as a backup crop because they survived droughts and poor soil, with these knobby tubers offering a slightly sweet and nutty taste that helped keep families fed when potatoes were scarce.
Major grocery chains like Kroger now stock sunchokes, making them more accessible to mainstream consumers seeking quality produce for their shopping lists or online delivery orders. Creative recipes highlighting their uniquely earthy taste and firm texture are appearing in cookbooks, including Jerusalem Artichoke and Parmesan Tart with unusual polenta crust and hearty Split Pea Soup variations.
Parsnip: From Medieval Staple to Modern Rediscovery
Once the king of the kitchen garden, parsnips are making a discreet but notable comeback as lovers of old-fashioned flavors and garden autonomy rediscover them for their resilience and taste qualities, though they require patience and rigor due to challenging seed germination. Parsnips were actually a prominent crop that was phased out by their cousin the carrot, which is surprising considering this high-yield crop produces edible roots much larger than carrots.
Fine dining establishments are incorporating parsnips into sophisticated dishes, such as Quebec bison strip loin served with leek, parsnip, celeriac and lingonberry preparations. Home cooks are discovering unexpected sweetness in parsnips, with some describing well-prepared parsnip dishes as almost dessert-like in their natural sugar content.
Turnip: The Humble Root’s Colorful Revival
People are rediscovering white, pink and yellow turnips alongside rutabaga, which is an ancient hybrid of turnips and kale, with these delicately-flavored vegetables finding their way into meals both raw and cooked as welcome new guests on dinner plates. These versatile roots offer a range of flavors from mild and sweet in younger specimens to more peppery and robust in mature varieties.
Turnips are experiencing renewed interest among health-conscious consumers who appreciate their low calorie content and high vitamin C levels. Modern farming techniques have improved their consistency and reduced the bitter edge that sometimes deterred past generations. Restaurant chefs are featuring turnips in creative preparations that showcase their adaptability to both rustic and refined cooking styles.
Ground Cherry: The Forgotten Fruit Making Sweet Returns
Ground cherries, small golden fruits hidden inside papery husks resembling tiny tomatillos, offer a sweet, tropical taste that brightened preserves and pies in the past, growing easily even in poor soil as a reliable food source, though their delicate nature made them difficult for mass production, leaving them mostly known among home gardeners today. These unique fruits are gaining attention in specialty markets and farm-to-table restaurants.
Their versatility extends beyond traditional preserves, with modern chefs incorporating them into savory applications and cocktail garnishes. The distinctive flavor profile combines elements of pineapple and vanilla, making them particularly appealing to adventurous food enthusiasts seeking unusual ingredients.
Burdock Root: The Misunderstood Asian Import
Burdock root looks remarkably similar to salsify, so much so that they’re sometimes confused for each other and may be mislabeled in markets, while also being rich in inulin, providing one of salsify’s main nutritional benefits. While traditionally used in Japanese stir-fried dishes, burdock can be used just like salsify, though it naturally has a stronger flavor that can be earthy and somewhat bitter, requiring soaking to reduce bitterness and make it more salsify-like.
The root’s medicinal properties have been recognized in traditional Asian medicine for centuries, and now Western nutritionists are acknowledging its benefits. Its growing availability in health food stores and Asian markets reflects increasing interest in functional foods that provide both nutrition and potential health benefits.
