Parsnip has a very pleasant flavor. In my kitchen is nearly a must. I love the sweet, aniseed taste when I use it in most of my recipes. As you can see, I nearly always prefer this tuber to turnip.
It can be cooked, steamed, fried, sautéed, roasted in the oven or you can prepare a cream with them (which in addition will give it more consistency).
Let's take an in-depth look into this amazingly good taste tuber.
A bit of history:
Parsnips are native to Eurasia and have been eaten there since ancient times. Greek and Roman literary records its early use. Ancient Romans were enthusiastic about this tuber. Emperor Tiberius accepted part of the tribute payable to Rome by Germany in the form of parsnips.
In Europe this vegetable was used as a source of sugar before cane and beet sugars were available. In the Middle Ages it was a basic part of the people's diet. But in the 18th century it was replaced by the potato and carrot and finally almost completely forgotten.
In more recent times, the organic farmers turned their attention to forgotten vegetables, along with the natural food movement and have been betting on the return of parsnips.
Types of parsnip:
1. The wild parsnip (pastinaca sativa pratensis)
It grows as a wild plant in meadows and roadsides. The root is fine and tough, but edible, even if it is not a culinary wonder.
In the past, the fruits and seeds were mainly collected as a home remedy for the bladder and kidneys and also for rheumatism.
2. The cultivated parsnip (pastinaca sativa)
It is the vegetable that is grown for commercialization and can develop a root of up to 1.5 kg in weight. The main producing countries today are the Netherlands, Italy, China and Spain.
Nutritional properties:
It has a high quantity of vitamins B2 and C, and it's also a good source of minerals: magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, and calcium.
The glycemic index of the parsnip is below ten, which means that it's a good food to help with the glycemic under control, even in diabetics.
It's full of prebiotic fiber (inulin), which is the most beneficial one for the intestinal microbiota.
Uses:
Essential oils: effective against fungi and bacteria, sometimes with more intense activity than synthetic antibiotics.
Coumarin and furanocoumarins: these substances have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
The shoots and leaves of parsnip must be handled with care, as its sap contains furanocoumarins, phototoxic chemicals that cause blisters on the skin when it is exposed to sunlight
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