Vegetable
Vegetable is a culinary term. Its definition has no
scientific value and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective.
All parts of an herbaceous
plant that humans eat whole or in part is generally considered a vegetable, except for culinary
fruits and arguably
grains, nuts,
herbs, and
spices. Also,
mushrooms are commonly considered vegetables, despite belonging to a different biological kingdom, namely
fungi.
Vegetables include
leaf vegetables , stem vegetables ,
root vegetables , flower vegetables ,
bulbs and botanical fruits such as
cucumbers, squashes,
pumpkins,
capsicums, as well as
legumes such as
green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of
peas or
beans.
Encyclopedia
Vegetable is a culinary term. Its definition has no
scientific value and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective.
All parts of an herbaceous
plant that humans eat whole or in part is generally considered a vegetable, except for culinary
fruits and arguably
grains, nuts,
herbs, and
spices. Also,
mushrooms are commonly considered vegetables, despite belonging to a different biological kingdom, namely
fungi.
Vegetables include
leaf vegetables , stem vegetables ,
root vegetables , flower vegetables ,
bulbs and botanical fruits such as
cucumbers, squashes,
pumpkins,
capsicums, as well as
legumes such as
green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of
peas or
beans.
Since "vegetable" is not a
botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable . See
Nix v. Hedden for a United States Supreme Court's ruling on the matter.
In general, vegetables are thought of as being savoury, and not sweet .
Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of horticulture called
olericulture.
Etymology
Vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant:
vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom. It comes from Latin
vegetabilis and from
vegetare , which is derived from
vegetus , in reference to the process of a plant growing. This in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European base
*weg- or
*wog-, which is also the source of the English
wake, meaning "not sleep". The word
vegetable was first recorded in print in
English in the
14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for food" was not established until the
18th century.
Importance of vegetables in the diet
Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutrient content of different types varies considerably. With the exception of pulses, vegetables provide little protein and fat. Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals.
Colour of vegetables and fruit
The green colour of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is affected by pH and changes to olive green in acid conditions, and bright green in alkali conditions. Some of the acids are released in steam during cooking, particularly if they are cooked without a cover.
The yellow/orange colour of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH.
The red/blue colour of some fruits and vegetables are due to anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. When pH is neutral, the pigments are purple, when acidic, red, and when alkaline, blue. These pigments are very soluble in water
.
Storage of vegetables
Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool, and dry place to prevent molding, greening and slow sprouting. Other root vegetables can be stored in a similar manner.
Leafy vegetables lose moisture and vitamin C degrades rapidly during storage and should therefore be stored for the minimum time in a cool place, in a plastic bag.
Many root vegetables can be stored through winter in a root cellar. Care should be taken in understanding the properties and vulnerabilities of the particular roots to be stored. Many can last through to early spring and be nearly as wholesome as when fresh.
See also
External links
Notes
