This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. This is a list of plants that have a culinary role as vegetables. Vegetable” can be used in several senses, including culinary, botanical and legal. Legal vegetable oil to butter conversion calculator are defined for regulatory, tax and other purposes.
An example would include the tomato, which is a botanical berry, but a culinary vegetable according to the United States. Iceberg lettuce field in northern Santa Barbara County. Common bean”, “kidney bean”, “haricot bean”, “pinto bean”, “navy bean”, and “green bean” are all varieties of the species Phaseolus vulgaris. Varieties of soybeans are used for many purposes. Garlic bulbs and individual cloves, one peeled. Carrots come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.
The potato is one of the world’s staple foods. Caulerpa is a genus of edible seaweed. Himbabao: An indigenous vegetable loved by Ilocanos”. How to Sustainably Harvest and Eat Delicious Daylilies”. Also known as the Egyptian Walking Onion due to its ability spread easily to other parts of gardens.
Library of Congress, United States of America. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the diet that abstains from animal products and consists mostly of plants, see Veganism. For a vegetarian diet, see Vegetarianism. Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. Originally, vegetables were collected from the wild by hunter-gatherers and entered cultivation in several parts of the world, probably during the period 10,000 BC to 7,000 BC, when a new agricultural way of life developed. Vegetables can be eaten either raw or cooked and play an important role in human nutrition, being mostly low in fat and carbohydrates, but high in vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
Many nutritionists encourage people to consume plenty of fruit and vegetables, five or more portions a day often being recommended. The word vegetable was first recorded in English in the early 15th century. The meaning of “vegetable” as a “plant grown for food” was not established until the 18th century. In 1767, the word was specifically used to mean a “plant cultivated for food, an edible herb or root”. The year 1955 saw the first use of the shortened, slang term “veggie”. As an adjective, the word vegetable is used in scientific and technical contexts with a different and much broader meaning, namely of “related to plants” in general, edible or not—as in vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom, vegetable origin, etc.
The exact definition of “vegetable” may vary simply because of the many parts of a plant consumed as food worldwide—roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. The broadest definition is the word’s use adjectivally to mean “matter of plant origin”. In the latter-mentioned definition of “vegetable”, which is used in everyday language, the words “fruit” and “vegetable” are mutually exclusive. Fruit” has a precise botanical meaning, being a part that developed from the ovary of a flowering plant.
This is considerably different from the word’s culinary meaning. Before the advent of agriculture, humans were hunter-gatherers. They foraged for edible fruit, nuts, stems, leaves, corms, and tubers and hunted animals for food. Throughout recorded history, the rich have been able to afford a varied diet including meat, vegetables and fruit, but for poor people, meat was a luxury and the food they ate was very dull, typically comprising mainly some staple product made from rice, rye, barley, wheat, millet or maize. The addition of vegetable matter provided some variety to the diet.
In Ancient China, rice was the staple crop in the south and wheat in the north, the latter made into dumplings, noodles, and pancakes. The mainstay of the Ancient Greek diet was bread, and this was accompanied by goat’s cheese, olives, figs, fish, and occasionally meat. The vegetables grown included onions, garlic, cabbages, melons, and lentils. Various types of potatoes for sale. Sum of production of dry and green vegetables. Vegetables play an important role in human nutrition. Most are low in fat and calories but are bulky and filling.
They supply dietary fiber and are important sources of essential vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. However, vegetables often also contain toxins and antinutrients which interfere with the absorption of nutrients. Fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables, have been implicated in nearly half the gastrointestinal infections caused by norovirus in the United States. These foods are commonly eaten raw and may become contaminated during their preparation by an infected food handler. Vegetable consumption per capita in 2013.
The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends consuming five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables daily. The total amount consumed will vary according to age and gender, and is determined based upon the standard portion sizes typically consumed, as well as general nutritional content. Potatoes are not included in the count as they are mainly providers of starch. International dietary guidelines are similar to the ones established by the USDA. Japan, for example, recommends the consumption of five to six servings of vegetables daily. French recommendations provide similar guidelines and set the daily goal at five servings. Vegetables have been part of the human diet from time immemorial.
Some are staple foods but most are accessory foodstuffs, adding variety to meals with their unique flavors and at the same time, adding nutrients necessary for health. Different soil types suit different crops, but in general in temperate climates, sandy soils dry out fast but warm up quickly in the spring and are suitable for early crops, while heavy clays retain moisture better and are more suitable for late season crops. On a domestic scale, the spade, fork, and hoe are the tools of choice while on commercial farms a range of mechanical equipment is available. When a vegetable is harvested, it is cut off from its source of water and nourishment.