In this article you will find information about four different root vegetables. The four root vegetables that are discussed are the Beetroot, Carrots, Radish and finally the Parsnip. Root vegetables are so called because they have a thickened root. This thickened root develops in the first year … in the following year it starts to flower and the seeds follow.
Root vegetables
- Beetroot
- Roots
- Radish
- Parsnip
Beetroot
The primeval beet has been eaten since prehistoric times. Many variants emerged from this ancient beer, such as sugar beet, forest beet and red beet, some of which were eaten around the Mediterranean for hundreds of years before our era.
The beetroot is usually round in shape, but there are also elongated shapes that were called ‘kroot’ until the 17th century because they look a lot like a carrot (carrot). In the Netherlands, the large round winter beet is available around the winter months, in the summer the smaller summer beet is mainly in circulation. There are also other colors of beets, such as yellow and white beets. Beets contain a large amount of necessary substances, such as vitamins, calcium, copper, zinc, folic acid, nicotinic acid and iron.
Content per 100 grams:
- Kcal: 38
- Vitamin C: 5 mg
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Potassium: 300 mg
- Calcium: 20 mg
Roots
The carrot is an old-fashioned vegetable and one of the most versatile. The best known is undoubtedly the carrot. This slender carrot with its large forest green foliage is one of the most popular vegetables in our country. The orange color was created by Dutch cultivation in the 17th century, before that the carrots were purple.
The carrot (carrot in English and carotte in French) is the first vegetable where the pigment has been observed to give the orange / red color. This pigment is therefore called carotene. It later turned out that carotene is the color-determining dye for all vegetables, flowers and fruit. Carrot is mainly available around the summer months. From October to April there is the large, fleshy winter carrot.
Content per 100 grams:
- Kcal: raw 11, cooked 17
- Vitamin C: 2 mg
Radish
Radish is originally from the eastern part of the Mediterranean. It has a slightly tart taste caused by an enzyme in the skin. If you remove the peel, the sharp taste will largely disappear. In the Netherlands, the round, red radishes are mainly sold in bunches with the foliage attached. But there are also white and red and white variants. The radish is also used as a decorative rose.
The taste is Rettich, another root / tuber vegetable, similar to that of the radish. The radish, a white winter carrot that does not look like a radish, is therefore sometimes used as a substitute for radish. Radishes and radishes are available all year round, but especially from April to November. They come from their own country, France, Germany and Spain.
Content per 100 grams:
- Kcal: 20
- Vitamin C: 20 mg
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Potassium: 250 mg
- Calcium: 30 mg
- Phosphorus: 30 mg
Parsnip
The food of our distant ancestors consisted largely of roots and tubers. Around our era, carrots were mainly used as a seasoning. Parsnips, a long white taproot with an aniseed flavor, came to our area from Asia in the Middle Ages. It was an important staple food before the introduction of the potato and very popular, for example with salty fish dishes.
The parsnip is packed with carbohydrates, but also contains folic acid and potassium. This delicious centuries-old sugar-rich winter vegetable is also very suitable for use in biscuits, jam and wine. The parsnip is also the predecessor of our winter carrot. However, it is less firm and must therefore be peeled with a vegetable peeler.
Content per 100 grams (cooked):
- Kcal 81
- Proteins 1.30 grams
- Carbohydrates 19.50 grams
- Fat 0.30 grams