Name: Rutabaga, also called swede, neep or yellow turnip (Brassica napus var. napobrassica) — a large, round, purple-topped root with firm yellow flesh and a sweet, earthy, slightly peppery taste. A separate Root Vegetables page covers it as a root.
Description
Rutabaga is thought to have arisen in the 17th century in Scandinavia or Bohemia as a natural cross between cabbage and turnip. It spread through northern Europe, where it became a staple winter vegetable, and in Scotland it is the “neeps” served with haggis on Burns Night. The name rutabaga comes from the Swedish rotabagge, meaning “root bag.”
In World War I, rutabagas were a common food in Germany during the “turnip winter” of food shortages, and they became associated with hardship in some countries. Today they are enjoyed for their sweet, buttery flavour when cooked.
Main nutrition value
Rutabaga provides vitamin C, potassium, fibre, and some magnesium and calcium, for fairly few calories.
How best to be consumed
Rutabaga is peeled and cooked, and can be mashed, roasted or stewed.
- Peel the waxed skin, then cube and boil, mash with butter and pepper, alone or with potatoes.
- Roast cubes with oil and herbs until golden.
- Add to stews, soups, pies and pasties.
- Grate raw into slaws, or cut into sticks.
- Store in a cool place or the fridge, where it keeps for weeks.
Overconsumption could cause…
Rutabaga is safe and healthy in food amounts.
- Bloating and gas, since cruciferous vegetables contain raffinose and other fermentable carbohydrates.
- Possible effects on thyroid function in people with an underactive thyroid or iodine deficiency if very large amounts are eaten raw, since brassicas contain goitrogens; normal cooked servings are fine.
- A strong, bitter flavour in very old, large roots.
- A lot of butter and salt if eaten mostly as buttery mash.
Wikipedia — Rutabaga, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutabaga
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