[Sca-cooks] modern adaption

Terry Decker t.d.decker at att.net
Thu Feb 9 15:08:26 PST 2012


The 1st Century source is probably Columella's De Re Rustica, where he 
address turnips as food for humans and animals, or Pliny.  There is a 
reference from the 7th Century BCE, where Sappho refers to one of her lovers 
as "turnip," so there is a probability that it was a human food plant at 
that time.  Turnips have been found in Iron Age English villages and appear 
to have originated somewhere in the boundary area between Europe and Asia, 
but it can not be determined whether the plant was used as human food or 
animal fodder (probably both).

Turnips were introduced into Canada in 1541 by Jacques Cartier, Virginia in 
1609, and were in cultivation in Massachusetts by 1622.

Bear

> According to www.foodtimeline.org
> Turnips show up in the 1st Century. Interesting article at 
> www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives
> Turnips have 20 chromosomes and rutabaga has 38.
> Turnips are white fleshed and most varieties of rutabagas are 
> yellow-fleshed. But, there are white fleshed rutabagas and yellow fleshed 
> turnips.
> Pliny describes a long turnips, flat turnips and round turnips. He used 
> the term "rapa" and "napus"
> The rutabaga aka "swede" (Brassica napobrassica) gets it name from the 
> Swedish word "rotabagge." Its a cold weather plant. It wasn't known in 
> England until 1664 when it was grown in the royal gardens.
>
> Bless Bless
> Aelina-who-would-rather-eat-a-swede- then-a turnip.
 





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