Parsley is the common name for a bright green herb, which is extensively cultivated for its leaves. It is native to the central Mediterranean region including Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Malta, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Parsley has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. According to legend, parsley sprang up where the blood of the … Read more
The Brussels sprout is a leafy green vegetable grown for its edible buds. It is a form of cabbage, belonging to the mustard family Brassicaceae. Brussels sprouts are named after the city of Brussels in Belgium. Forerunners to modern Brussels sprouts were probably cultivated in Ancient Rome. Brussels sprouts may have been grown in Belgium … Read more
Wasabi or Japanese horseradish is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Wasabi is known across the world as a condiment for sushi. According to Japanese legend, wasabi was discovered hundreds of years ago in a remote mountain village by a farmer who decided to grow it. He reportedly showed … Read more
Kohlrabi is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. Its unique name is derived from the German word for cabbage (kohl) and turnip (rabi). The kohlrabi originates from the northeast of Europe. Its consumption has stayed mainly in this area, while in others it is hardly known. The first description of kohlrabi … Read more
Artichoke also called globe artichoke is a variety of a species of thistle cultivated as a food. Native to the western and central Mediterranean, the artichoke was domesticated and carried to the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times, though it was then valued for its young leaves rather than the immature flower heads. The artichoke is … Read more
Zucchini also called courgette, variety of summer squash. Zucchini like all squash has its ancestry in Central and South America. It was brought to the Mediterranean by Christopher Columbus around 500 years ago. However, the varieties of squash typically called “zucchini” were developed in northern Italy in the second half of the 19th century. The … Read more
Celery is a type of vegetable, often used in salad. It is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery is believed to be the same plant as selinon, mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey about 850 B.C. Our word “celery” comes from the French celeri, which is … Read more
Cauliflower is one of the cultivated varieties of the cabbage plant family and is closely related to broccoli. The cauliflower originally came from Cyprus. In the 1st century AD, Pliny included what he called cyma among his descriptions of cultivated plants in Natural History: “Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma,” (“Of all the varieties … Read more
Cabbage is any of the various plants of the Capitata Group of the species Brassica. It is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. We don’t know for certain where cabbage appeared for the first time because many plants belong to … Read more