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Vegetable is broadly defined as any plant, thus distinguished from animal or inorganic matter. More specifically, it is any edible part of a herbaceous (green leafed, non-woody) plant. These include the root (carrot), tuber (potato), seed (pea), fruit (tomato), stem (celery), leaf (spinach), etc.
In culinary usage, a vegetable is a non-dried plant part that is eaten, in general, as a main course rather than at dessert. Vegetables are usually distinguished from fruits (sweet, fleshy plant parts that are most often the botanical fruit of the plant and that are usually eaten in dessert) and grains (dried plant parts, often seeds).
This distinction is not necessarily related to botanical facts. The tomato, for example, is botanically speaking a fruit; however, most people and the United States Supreme Court (Nix v. Hedden) consider it a vegetable. The same is true of eggplants, cucumbers, and squashes, all of which are fruits. Sweet corn, for its part, is botanically a grain but is usually served as a vegetable because it is fleshy and relatively sweet. Although mushrooms are often referred to as a vegetable, they are not plants at all, but fungi.
Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of horticulture called olericulture.
Etymology (Word Origin)
Vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant: vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom.[1] It comes from Latin vegetabilis (animated) and from vegetare (enliven), which is derived from vegetus (active), in reference to the process of a plant growing. This in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *weg- or *wog-, which is also the source of the English wake, meaning "not sleep". The word vegetable was first recorded in print in English in the 14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for food" was not established until the 18th century. [2]
Importance of vegetables in the diet
Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutrient content of different types varies considerably. With the exception of pulses, vegetables provide little protein and fat.[3][4] Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals.
Colour of vegetables and fruit
The green colour of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is affected by pH and changes to olive green in acid conditions, and bright green in alkali conditions. Some of the acids are released in steam during cooking, particularly if they are cooked without a cover.
The yellow/orange colour of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH.
The red/blue colour of some fruits and vegetables (e.g. blackberries and red cabbage) are due to anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. When pH is neutral, the pigments are purple, when acidic, red, and when alkaline, blue. These pigments are very soluble in water.
Storage of vegetables
Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool, and dry place to prevent molding, greening (due to exposure to light) and slow sprouting. Other root vegetables can be stored in a similar manner.
Leafy vegetables lose moisture and vitamin C degrades rapidly during storage and should therefore be stored for the minimum time in a cool place, in a plastic bag.
Many root vegetables can be stored through winter in a root cellar. Care should be taken in understanding the properties and vulnerabilities of the particular roots to be stored. Many can last through to early spring and be nearly as wholesome as when fresh.
See also
External links
Notes
- ^ Swedenborg, Emanuel. (2003) Swedenborg Concordance 1888. Kessinger Publishing. p. 502. ISBN 0766137287.
- ^ Ayto, John (1993). Dictionary of Word Origins. New York: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 1-55970-214-1.
- ^ Woodruff, Sandra. (1995) Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking. Avery. p. 85. ISBN 0-89529-668-3.
- ^ Whitaker, Julian. (2001) Reversing Diabetes. Warner Books. pp. 269-71. ISBN 0-446-67658-6.