All Topics  
Rutabaga

 

 

 

 

 

Rutabaga


 
 


The name

"Rutabaga" (from dialectal SwedishSwedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language spoken predominantly in Sweden and in parts of Finland, especially along the coast an...
 "rotabagge", root ram) is the common American EnglishAmerican English

American English is the dialect of the English language used mostly in the United States of America....
 term for the plant, while "swede", or Eddie (SwedeSwedish people Overview

The Swedish people or Swedes are an ethnic group who comprise the native speakers of the Germanic Swedish language an...
) is the preferred term used in much of EnglandEnglish English

English English is a term that has been applied to the English language as spoken in England....
, WalesWales

Wales is one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom....
, AustraliaAustralia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland o...
, New ZealandNew Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands and many much smaller islands, m...
 and IndiaIndia Summary

India , officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia....
. In the U.S., the plant is also known as "Swedish turnip," "yellow turnip", or "wax turnip" (as it is sometimes sold with a waxy coating to preserve freshness) while in IrelandIreland

Ireland is the third largest island in Europe....
 and Atlantic CanadaAtlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada, also known as the Atlantic provinces, is the name given to the four Canadian provinces located on Ca...
, where turnipTurnip

The turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot....
s are relatively unknown, it is called turnip. In ScotsScots language

Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland....
, it is either "tumshie" or "neep", and the turnip (Brassica rapaBrassica rapa

Brassica rapa is a plant widely cultivated as a leaf vegetable, a root vegetable, and an oilseed....
var. rapa) instead is called a "white turnip". Scots will refer to both types by the generic term "neep" (from Old EnglishOld English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland ...
 næp, Latin napus). Some will also refer to both types as just "turnip" (the word is also derived from næp).

In North-East England, turnips and swedes/rutabagas are colloquially called "snadgies". They should not be confused with the large beet known as a mangelwurzelMangelwurzel

Mangelwurzel or mangold wurzel, is a root vegetable of the family Chenopodiaceae, genus Beta....
.

Its common name in SwedenSweden

The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country in Scandinavia....
 is "kålrot" (cabbage root). In Norway it is also called "kålrot", but often also "kålrabi" (which in Sweden and Denmark means kohlrabiKohlrabi Overview

Kohlrabi is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage which has been selected for its swollen, nearly spherical, Sputnik-like sh...
). In Finnish, it is called "lanttu", which is derived from the Swedish "planta", meaning plant or seedling. (Finland was for many centuries part of the Swedish realm, and rutabaga has to be planted as seedlings due to the short Scandinavian growing season.)

Halloween

Prior to pumpkins being readily available in the UK and Ireland (a relatively recent development), swedes/rutabagas were hollowed out and carved with faces to make lanterns for HalloweenHalloween

Halloween is an observance celebrated on the night of October 31, most notably by children dressing in costumes and going d...
. Often called "jack o'lanterns", or "tumshie lanterns" in Scotland, they were the ancient symbol of a damned soul.

History


Rutabaga was an important nutritional source for many Finno-UgricFinno-Ugric peoples

The term Finno-Ugric peoples is used to describe a peoples speaking a Finno-Ugric language....
 tribes before the introduction of potatoes. Some claim the vegetable is native to Sweden, but others think it was introduced to Sweden, possibly from Finland or Siberia, in the early 17th century. From Sweden, it reached Scotland, and from there it spread to the rest of Great BritainGreat Britain

Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma...
 and to North AmericaNorth America

North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere....
.

In continental EuropeEurope Summary

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
, it acquired a bad reputation during World War IWorld War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All Wars" was a global m...
, when it became a food of last resort. In the GermanGermany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe....
 Steckrübenwinter (rutabaga winter) of 1916–171917

1917 was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slo...
, large parts of the population were kept alive on a diet consisting of rutabagas and little else, after grain and potato crop failures had combined with wartime effects. After the war, most people were so tired of rutabagas that they came to be considered "famine foodFamine food

A famine food or poverty food is any inexpensive or readily-available foodstuff used to nourish people in times of ext...
," and they have retained this reputation to the present day. As a consequence, they are rarely planted in Germany.

Preparation

Finns cook rutabaga in a variety of ways; roasted to be served with meat dishes, as the major ingredient in the ever popular Christmas dish rutabaga casserol ("lanttulaatikko"), as a major flavor enhancer in soups, uncooked and thinly julienned as a side dish or in a salad, baked, or boiled. Finns use rutabaga in most dishes that call for any root vegetable.

Swedes and Norwegians cook rutabagas with potatoPotato

The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber....
es and carrotCarrot

The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange or white in color with a woody texture....
s and mash them with butterButter

Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk....
 and creamCream

Cream or creme is a dairy product that is composed of the higher-butterfat layer skimmed from the top of raw milk befo...
 or milkMilk

Milk is the nutrient fluid produced by the mammary glands of female mammals ....
 to create a puree called "rotmos" (root mash) and "kålrot/kålrabistappe" in Swedish and Norwegian, respectively. OnionOnion

Onion in the general sense can be used for any plant in the genus Allium but used without qualifiers usually means All...
 is occasionally added. In Norway, kålrabistappe is an obligatory accompaniment to many festive dishes, including smalahoveSmalahove

Smalahove is a Norwegian traditional dish, usually eaten around and before Christmas time, made from a sheep's head....
, pinnekjøttPinnekjøtt

Pinnekj?tt is a traditional Christmas dish in the western parts of Norway....
 and salted herringHerring

Herrings are small oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the temperate, shallow waters of the North Atlantic and ...
.

In Scotland, rutabagas and potatoes are boiled and mashed separately to produce "tatties and neeps" ("tatties" being the Scots word for potatoes), traditionally served with the Scottish national dish of haggisHaggis

Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish....
 as the main course of a Burns supperBurns supper

A Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, author of the version of the Scots song Aul...
. Neeps may also be mashed with potatoPotato

The potato is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber....
es to make clapshotFacts About Clapshot

Clapshot is a traditional Scottish dish that originated in Orkney and is frequently served with mince or haggis....
. Regional variations include the addition of onions to clapshotClapshot

Clapshot is a traditional Scottish dish that originated in Orkney and is frequently served with mince or haggis....
 in Orkney. Neeps are also extensively used in soups and stews. In YorkshireYorkshire

Yorkshire is the largest historic county of England and Great Britain, covering just under 6,000 sq....
 and LincolnshireLincolnshire

Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England....
, swedes are often mashed together with carrots as part of the traditional Sunday roastSunday roast

The Sunday roast is a traditional British and Irish main meal served on Sundays, and consisting of roasted meat together wit...
.

In CanadaCanada

Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America....
 rutabagas are used as filler in foods such as mincemeatMincemeat

Mincemeat was originally a conglomeration of bits of meat, dried fruit and spices, created as an alternative to smoking or d...
 and Christmas cakeChristmas cake

Christmas cake is a type of fruitcake served at Christmas time in the UK, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries....
, or as a side dish with Sunday dinnerSunday Dinner

Sunday Dinner is a meal traditionally eaten in the United Kingdom, the United States and other nations on Sunday....
 in Atlantic Canada. In the US, rutabagas are mostly eaten as part of stewStew

A stew is a common dish made of vegetables, meat, poultry, or seafood cooked in some sort of broth or sauce....
s or casseroleCasserole

In cooking, a casserole is a large, deep, covered pot or dish used both in the oven and as a serving dish....
s, are served mashed with carrots, or baked in a pastyPasty Summary

A pasty is a type of pie, originally from Cornwall, United Kingdom....
.

Popular Culture Reference


Rutabaga is repeated over and over again in the chorus of "Call Any Vegetable", a famous song celebrating vegetables by Frank ZappaZappa

Zappa may refer to:*Frank Zappa, an American composer and musician...

Other

The town of Cumberland, WisconsinCumberland, Wisconsin

Cumberland is a city in Barron County in the U.S....
, U.S.United States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
, celebrates a "Rutabaga Festival" annually, always the weekend preceding Labor Day Weekend. The International Rutabaga Curling ChampionshipInternational Rutabaga Curling Championship

Rutabaga curling originated in the frosty December climes of Ithaca, New York....
 annually takes place at the Ithaca, New YorkIthaca, New York

The City of Ithaca sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York State and is famous for being the locatio...
, farmer's market.

Excessive consumption of rutabaga can be associated with hypothyroidismHypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is the disease state caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland....
. Rutabaga and other cyanoglucoside-containing foods (including cassavaCassava

The cassava or manioc is a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae that is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in trop...
, maizeMaize

Maize , also known as corn, is a cereal grain that was domesticated in Mesoamerica....
, bamboo shootsBamboo shoot

Bamboo shoots are the edible shoots of bamboo species Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis....
, sweet potatoes, and lima beans) release cyanideCyanide Summary

A cyanide is any chemical compound that contains the cyano group -C=N, with the carbon atom triple-bonded to the nitro...
, which is subsequently detoxified into thiocyanateThiocyanate

Thiocyanate is both an anion, [SCN]-, and, in organic chemistry, a functional group, RSCN....
. Thiocyanate inhibits thyroidThyroid

The thyroid is one of the larger endocrine glands in the body....
 iodideIodide

An iodide ion is an iodine atom with a −1 charge....
 transport and, at high doses, competes with iodide in the organification process within thyroid tissue. GoitreGoitre

A goitre , also called a bronchocele, is a swelling in the neck due to an enlarged thyroid gland....
s may develop when there is a dietary imbalance of thiocyanate-containing food in excess of iodine consumption.

The word "rutabaga" is also a technical term for a specific mutation type in fruit fliesDrosophila

Drosophila is a genus of small flies whose members are often called small fruit flies, or more appropriately vinegar fli...
 that results in impaired mental capacity.

See also

  • KohlrabiKohlrabi

    Kohlrabi is a low, stout cultivar of the cabbage which has been selected for its swollen, nearly spherical, Sputnik-like sh...
  • List of culinary vegetables

External links