Turnips, with their rich history and enduring popularity, boast a fascinating array of unbelievable facts. The following top 5 unbelievable facts about turnips shed light on the diverse and remarkable qualities of this humble yet versatile vegetable.
• The smaller the bulb of a turnip, the sweeter it will taste.
• Turnips are a dual-purpose crop, as both their roots and greens are edible, providing a versatile and sustainable food source for human consumption and livestock feed.
• Some turnip varieties are grown for their attractive foliage and are used as ornamental plants in gardens and landscapes, showcasing their potential as not just a food source but also as an ornamental plant.
• The turnip is a “cruciferous” vegetable, a distinction it shares with cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. The word derives from Latin, referring to the cross formed by its four petals.
• Although we think of the turnip as a root vegetable, it’s technically the swollen base of a stem. Ancient turnips would have looked more like a carrot instead of the round variety that we know today.
