Theturnip orwhite turnip (Brassica rapa subsp.rapa) is aroot vegetable commonly grown intemperate climates worldwide for its white, fleshytaproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown asfeed forlivestock. The nameturnip – used in many regions – may also be used to refer torutabaga (orneep orswede), which is a different but related vegetable.[1]
The origin of the wordturnip is uncertain, though it is hypothesised that it could be acompound ofturn as in turned/rounded on alathe andneep, derived from Latinnapus, the word for the plant. According toAn Universal Etymological English Dictionary,turn refers to "roundnapus to distinguish it from the napi, which were generally long".[2]
The most common type of turnip is mostly white-skinned, apart from the upper 1 to 6 centimetres (1⁄2 to2+1⁄2 inches), which protrude above the ground and are purple or red or greenish where the sun has hit. This above-ground part develops from stem tissue but is fused with the root.[citation needed] The interior flesh is entirely white. The root is roughly globular, from 5–20 cm (2–8 in) in diameter, and lacks side roots. Underneath, thetaproot (the normal root below the swollen storage root) is thin and 10 cm (4 in) or more in length; it is often trimmed off before the vegetable is sold. The leaves grow directly from the above-ground shoulder of the root, with little or no visible crown or neck (as found inrutabagas).[citation needed]
Turnipleaves are sometimes eaten as "turnip greens" ("turnip tops" in the UK), and they resemblemustard greens (to which they are closely related) in flavor. Turnip greens are a common side dish in southeastern U.S. cooking, primarily during late fall and winter. Smaller leaves are preferred. Varieties of turnip grown specifically for their leaves resemble mustard greens and have small roots. These includerapini (broccoli rabe),bok choy, andChinese cabbage. Similar to rawcabbage orradish, turnip leaves and roots have a pungent flavor that becomes milder after cooking.[citation needed]
Turnip roots weigh up to 1 kilogram (2 pounds), although they are usually harvested when smaller. Size is partly a function of variety and partly a function of the length of time a turnip has grown.
Boiled green leaves of the turnip top ("turnip greens") provide 84 kilojoules (20 kilocalories) offood energy in a reference serving of100 grams (3+1⁄2 oz), and are 93% water, 4%carbohydrates, and 1%protein, with negligiblefat (table). The boiled greens are a rich source (more than 20% of theDaily Value, DV) particularly ofvitamin K (350% DV), withvitamin A,vitamin C, andfolate also in significant content (30% DV or greater, table). Boiled turnip greens also contain substantiallutein (8440 micrograms per 100 g).
In a 100-gram reference amount, boiled turnip root supplies 92 kJ (22 kcal), with only vitamin C in a moderate amount (14% DV). Othermicronutrients in boiled turnip are in low or negligible content (table). Boiled turnip is 94% water, 5% carbohydrates, and 1% protein, with negligible fat.
Wild forms of the turnip and its relatives, themustards andradishes, are found over western Asia and Europe. Starting as early as 2000 BCE, related oilseed subspecies ofBrassica rapa likeoleifera may have been domesticated several times from theMediterranean to India, though these are not the same turnips cultivated for their roots.[5] Previous estimates of domestication dates are limited to linguistic analyses of plant names.[6]
Edible turnips were first domesticated inCentral Asia several thousand years ago, supported by genetic studies of both wild and domesticated varieties showing Central Asian varieties are the most genetically diverse crops.[7] Ancient literary references to turnips in Central Asia, and the existence of words for 'turnip' in ancestral languages of the region, also support the turnip as the original domesticated form ofBrassica rapa subsp.rapa.[7] It later spread to Europe and East Asia with farmers in both areas later selecting for larger leaves; it subsequently became an important food in theHellenistic andRoman world.[5] The turnip spread to China, and reached Japan by 700 CE.[5]
Turnips were an important crop in thecuisine of Antebellum America. They were grown for their greens as well as the roots, and could yield edible greens within a few weeks of planting, making them a staple of newplantations still in the process of becoming productive. They could be planted as late as the fall and still provide newly arrived settlers with a source of food. The typical southern way of cooking turnip greens was to boil them with a chunk ofsalt pork. Thebroth obtained from this process was known aspot likker and was served with crumbledcorn pone, often made from coarse meal when little else was available along the antebellum frontier.[8]
The 1881 AmericanHousehold Cyclopedia advises that turnips can be grown in fields that have beenharrowed and ploughed. It recommends planting in late May or June and weeding and thinning with ahoe throughout the summer.[9]
As a root crop, turnips grow best in cool weather; hot temperatures cause the roots to become woody and bad-tasting. They are typically planted in the spring in cold-weather climates (such as the northern US and Canada) where the growing season is only 3–4 months. In temperate climates (ones with a growing season of 5–6 months), turnips may also be planted in late summer for a second fall crop. In warm-weather climates (7 or more month growing season), they are planted in the fall. 55–60 days is the average time from planting to harvest.[citation needed]
Turnips are a biennial plant, taking two years from germination to reproduction. The root spends the first year growing and storing nutrients, and the second year flowers, produces seeds, and dies. The flowers of the turnip are tall and yellow, with the seeds forming in pea-like pods. In areas with less than seven-month growing seasons, temperatures are too cold for the roots to survive the winter. To produce seeds, pulling the turnips and storing them over winter is necessary, taking care not to damage the leaves. During the spring, they may be set back in the ground to complete their lifecycle.[10]: 98
In Scottish and some other English dialects, the wordturnip can also refer torutabagas (North American English), also known as swedes in England, a variety ofBrassica napus, which is a hybrid between the turnip,Brassica rapa, and the cabbage. Turnips are generally smaller with white flesh, while rutabagas are larger with yellow flesh. Scottish English sometimes distinguishes turnips aswhite turnips, and sometimes distinguishes rutabagas asneeps.
In the Austrian region ofWildschönau, farmers produce a kind ofschnaps calledKrautinger from a variation of Brassica rapa ssp. Rapa, since they were granted permission to do so under EmpressMaria Theresia in the 18th century.[12] It is notorious for its distinct taste and smell.
^abcSanderson, Helen (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.).The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p. 72.ISBN0415927463.
^Zohary, Daniel; Hopf, Maria; Weiss, Ehud (2012).Domestication of plants in the Old World : the origin and spread of domesticated plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin (4th ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 139.ISBN9780199549061.
^Greene, Wesley (2012). "Turnip".Vegetable Gardening the Colonial Williamsburg Way.Rodale. pp. 95–98.ISBN978-1609611620.Turnips are biennial plants that must pass through a winter season to form flowers and seed... In colder regions, they must be dug and stored for winter and replanted in spring.
^Ashton, T S (1948).The Industrial Revolution. A Galaxy Book (Third printing, 1965 ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 21.
^Hartemink, Ralf."Kiikala".Heraldry Wiki. Archived fromthe original on 2022-10-23. Retrieved2021-02-14.Official blazon (Finnish): Punaisessa kentässä kultainen nauris
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