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5 funny vegetables you haven`t heard about Or maybe you have. Heard about them. Being the pretty awesome, educated and open-minded person you must be to follow farmhopping here, no doubt you do know more about the world than the average person. But seeing is believing, you know what they say. In this case, hearing about them is not enough, tasting them is what it`s all about. And that you haven`t done, have you :) So after telling you about what is in the veggies we all know, I thought to myself: well, how about some exotic – dig up info on the ones we do not all know? What are they called, what they look like, what is in them, how do eating them benefit the human organism? Here we go: Purple sweet potato

Purple as the rain in that song, this funny spud comes from Japan, Okinawa, to be precise. It is also very popular in Hawaii. It looks just like a regular potato until you peel it and then, surprise, surprise, the bright purple color amazes you. The content of anthocyanins is what gives it that appearance, same as with grapes, blueberries, red cabbage. The purple potato is good for your system because of the high levels of antioxidants it contains.

Salsify

Popular throughout Europe to the Near East, this weird veggie funnily tastes like artichoke hearts. The edible part is its root, also valued for its medicinal qualities – people once thought is might cure snake bites. What we know today for sure is that it is a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese.

Romanesco

Probably the most common amongst all the others in our little selection here, the romanesco is actually a variant of the good old cauliflower. But what an exotic variant that is – the spirals on the head follow the Fibonacci pattern, can you imagine! Besides of helping you study fractals, it provides the organism with vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and carotenoids.

Samphire

Deliciously crunchy, this exotic asparagus-like veggie can be consumed raw or steamed, it`s up to you. It is often called sea asparagus or sea beans, as it grows on rocks and cliffs near the ocean; cultivating it is possible in saltwater farms. Samphire has a high vitamin C and mineral content and is thought to relieve flatulence and to act as a digestive remedy. A funny fact about this little plant is that has been investigated as a potential biodiesel source.

Tiger Nut

Cultivated since the fourth millennium in Egypt, today chufa sedge plant is today popular mainly in Spain – its tubers are used to make horchata, a popular milky drink. Although often considered a weed and terribly underutilized, the tiger nut has a smooth, tender, sweet and nutty taste. It can be consumed raw, roasted, dried, baked or as tiger nut milk or oil. Contains a good quality of Vitamin B1 and E and necessary essential minerals; calcium, magnesium and iron.

You should be able to find most of those funny veggies at your local market - it will take some investigation, but who doesn`t need something exotic form time to time, so it is totally worth it :)