Turnips belong to the species Brassica rapa. Brassicsa is cabbage in Latin, and rapa translates to turnip. The ancient Roman author used the words ‘rapa’, ‘napus’ to depict long, round or flat turnips. According to Middle-Ages English, ‘napus’ became ‘naep’ in Anglo-Saxon, and combined with the word turn (‘made round’) […]
According to botanical references, the tomato is a berry since it develops from a single ovary. Originally it was named after the family it was a member of, Solanaceae, also referred to as “solenoid” and at times as “nightshade”. However the original botanical name has been replaced with Lycopersicon esculentum. […]
The strawberry is unique in that its seeds are on the outside. It is technically not a true fruit. It is actually an enlarged receptacle of the plant’s flower, otherwise known as a ‘false fruit’. The plant hails from the Rosaceae family belonging to the genus Fragaria and is related […]
A member of the Amaranthaceae family, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a flowering edible plant. The low growing plant has leaves that approximately resemble a spade. It is available in three main types, the savoy variety with crinkly leaves, the flat-leafed, and semi-savoy varieties with flatter leaves. If allowed to grow […]
Rubus Idaeus (red raspberries), and Rubus Occidentalis (black raspberries) are a delicately sweet fruit belonging to the Rosaceae family. The raspberry plant requires nominal maintenance and provides ample amounts of fruit. A row of raspberry plants ten feet long can provide sufficient fresh fruit to enjoy during the in-season, with […]
The edible root vegetable, Raphanus sativus or more commonly known as the radish belongs to the Brassicaceae family. The radish is derived from the Latin word “radix” meaning “root”, while the biological name Raphanus means “quickly appearing”, a reference to their speed of germination. Radishes are widely available around the […]
Pineapple or Ananas comosus, is member of the bromeliad family indigenous to South America. Pineapple develops on a plant that remains fairly close to the ground. Each plant yields only one pineapple. Technically the pineapple is not a single fruit but a sorosis; a mass of a hundred or more […]
Pears come in a large number of varieties but all belong to the Rosaceae family along with roses and fruits like apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, raspberries to name a few. The variety of pears most commonly found in U.S and Europe are known as Pyrus communis. This variety has a […]
Parsley is a herb belonging to the Apiaceae family, with a biological name Petroselinum crispum. It is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region and naturalized all over Europe. The first part of its name is derived from the Greek word Petrose meaning rock, due to its inclination to […]
Oranges do not exist in the wild; they are products of cross breeding tangerines with the “Chinese grapefruit” the pomelo. They are the greatest grown quantity of citrus fruits around the world. The outer orange coloured skin is known as the epicarp while the spongy white mesocarp lies just beneath. […]
Mint is valued all over the world for its menthol scent and taste. It provokes an invigorating effect on the senses, and is commonly employed in cooking to add flavour to dishes, and as a garnish for desserts. It is also commonly used in medicine, aromatherapy, and commercial goods like […]
Allium cepa, commonly known as the onion, belongs to the Alliaceae family along with shallots, chives, and garlic. It was previously classified incorrectly and grouped in the Amaryllidaceae family, whose members include daffodils, amaryllis and various other plants with bulbs. The onion plant is made up of superficial roots attached […]
Lettuce is the type of a vegetable that just about all plant breeders like to meddle with, hence the seemingly endless varieties! Ranging in colour anywhere from crispy green to crimson red, the flavours and nutritional values of the different varieties also vary greatly. Lettuce belongs to the Asteraceae family […]
The kiwifruit is also known by its short name, kiwi, in some parts of the world as well as Chinese gooseberry, and Yang Tao. Interior of the fruit is dazzling green flesh with radiating lighter green spikes. Scattered between the spikes are the miniature edible dark purple to almost black […]
A member of the Rutaceae family, the botanical name of a lemon is Citrus Limonum. The true lemon tree reaches a height of 10 to 20 feet (three to six meters), and is full of twigs with sharp thorns. The flowers with their mild fragrance can be clustered or solitary, […]
Kale (Brassica oleracea), also sometimes referred to as borecole, is a relative of the more highly developed members of the same family like broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. The vegetable has been so popular in Scotland that “come to kale” was an invitation to dinner. In addition to the typical […]
Although it goes by the name of Jerusalem artichoke, it has absolutely no connection with Jerusalem nor does it have any relation to the true artichoke! It is actually more closely related to the sunflower. According to one school of thought, the word Jerusalem is derived from the Italian word […]
Jicama or Pachyrihizus erosus, an edible root bearing a resemblance to turnips, is a member of the Fabaceae family. A native of Mexico, its other names include yam bean, Mexican potato, or Mexican turnip. All parts of the plant that are above the ground, including flowers, seeds, pods, vine and […]
French beans, green beans, string beans and snap beans, are actually different names of the same bean scientifically known as Phaseolus vulgaris. The beans are made up of a green pod with tiny seeds inside and range in size from four to six inches. The pod and the seeds inside […]
Citrus paradise, or better known as the grapefruit, grows on a subtropical citrus tree belonging to the Rutaceae family. It is available today in a number of varieties distinguished by the colour of the fruit’s pulp, which can range from red, white, to hues of pink. The colouration is a […]