Top 10 Vegetables You've Never Heard Of Part 2

the world is filled with a unique array of vegetables that you likely didn't know about on this episode we bring you the top 10 vegetables you've never heard of part two a pretend lemon drop pepper being a member of the capsicum or hot pepper family the lemon drop pepper gets its name from its lemony flavor and appearance being small in size but the length of a jalapeno are smaller this pepper is six times hotter than one this high-yielding plant can produce up to hundred peppers in the season it takes around 80 days from flower to ripe fruit to be grown in a wide range of climates dating back to 400 BC on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains in Peru the aji lemo chili pepper as it's also called was named after the region of Lima tasting sweet peppery with hints of citrus this pepper is hot and delicious this claim is debatable to some people though as some find it to taste like soap for those who enjoy the taste you must endure the sharp spike of heat this pepper unleashes which quickly diminishes leaving the lemony almost habanero like taste in its wake clocking in between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville be careful when handling these don't touch our eyes being high in vitamin C and a as well as minerals like iron potassium and magnesium this pepper also offers a boost to the metabolism from the heat it produces offering beneficial antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties this pepper is an ideal ingredient for homemade hot sauces the lemon flavor gives a nice balance to the sauce and adds depth found in salsas sauces savory and traditional Peruvian dishes the lemon drop pepper are well typically yellow can ripen to a purple orange or red color being a fairly easy pepper to cross-pollinate with who knows maybe we'll see a new hot pepper emerged that comes from the lemon drop pepper number 9 orange cauliflower not coming from a dye this orange tinted cauliflower gets its color from antioxidant anthocyanin which can also be found in red cabbage sometimes called cheddar cauliflower this variety was discovered in 1970 in Canada after being shipped over to Cornell University to agricultural scientists many years of cross required before became available for commercial production the orange color is a genetic mutation allowing beta-carotene to be held in the plant and excess amounts offering 25% more vitamin A than a normal white cauliflower this colored variety chops crumbles cooks and eats the same way slight differences in taste arise adding a mildly sweet and creamy experience to the cauliflower found at local farmers markets and on Amazon link is in description this cauliflower is most commonly found during the fall months a perfectly ripe one will have uniform color that's spotty and patchy better to take a pass number eight Egyptian loofah fruit originating from South and Southeast Asia this weird vegetable is known for being a sponge going by the names of gourd sponge Egyptian cucumber Vietnamese loofah this isn't the only loofah fruit out there this one being a smooth variety has adopted other names such as smooth loofah rag gourd vegetable sponge and dishrag gourd hmm appetizing measuring about a foot long this vine grown vegetable should be consumed when it is young as old mature ones are tough and fibrous even while young it has a soft leathery like texture that's almost one of a lizard this vegetable weighs and it's about the same size as a zucchini but doesn't have the same rigidity as one the inside is very soft and spongy just as with a zucchini both the peel and the inside can be consumed although with the loofah you'd probably want to steam at first the taste is mild and simple like a zucchini but the texture is much like eating a sponge is also commonly found in Chinese grocery stores where it's called moap this vegetable is a great addition to stir-fry a curry dish it's basically added density that has fiber nutrients and it absorbs whatever flavors in the dish offering an apple source of B vitamins vitamin C a and K as well as magnesium potassium zinc iron and phosphorus this veggie helps reduce arthritis and diabetes trade anemia improves skin health and improves brain function not bad in Israel artistic mosaics of this bath sponge vegetable have been immortalized in churches the sponge itself is described as being semi course offering good durability number seven lemon cucumber coming from the Middle East during the 16th century the softball-sized cucumber is most popularly found in India today other names this veggie goes by our Apple cucumber garden lemon Hasakah and budem Chaya they taste crisp fresh and refreshing with plenty of juice well there's some websites that say this cucumber offers no lemon flavor I have to disagree I find it to taste like a 50/50 mix of a cucumber and a lemon making it my favorite vegetables in the garden in fact as I put this video together I'm eating lemon cucumber have you tried this veggie do you think share your thoughts down below introduced into the United States in the 1900s it's most commonly used in fresh green salads pesto pian zucchini salads and tofu salads in India is a typical ingredient in soups dal chutney and dosa avec aya they pair well with tomatoes carrots herbs citrus summer squash and vinegar healthy source of antioxidants vitamin C K potassium calcium and fiber the lemon cucumber is known in India for its cooling effect on the body being ideal in the hot sweltering Sun number 6 horseradish a staple of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians horseradish originated from Eastern Europe brought to America in the 1800s by settlers this root vegetable is commonly grown in Europe in the United States Collinsville Illinois is the major commercial producer of horseradish which features an international horseradish festival every year horseradish is a large root grown underground that once becomes established it is very difficult to remove from the garden its massive leaves can grow over to a foot wide a couple feet long which will create a lot of shade where it grown offering a hot and pungent taste when hold after shredded and crushed or ground it becomes much more pleasant to consume vinegar also removes the pungent heat of horseradish the taste is very complex having an initial wave of earthy heat which is followed by a delicate sweetness this strong flavor goes well in savory dishes and not your morning smoothie if you've been to a Japanese restaurant before then likely tried horseradish you know that green paste that comes with your sushi roll they call wasabi that's actually green-tinted horseradish wasabi shares similar properties of horseradish but has a much less aggressive bite to it requiring unique very wet growing conditions wasabi has a high price point to produce where horseradish grows like a weed when we high-end Japanese restaurants in North America the authentic Japanese restaurants in Japan serve real wasabi high in vitamin C and fiber this root vegetable is low in fat and available year-round with its peak seasons being in spring and late fall this root has medicinal properties that have been used for hundreds of years helping to treat arthritis kidney stones sinus infection and coughs this root can also be used to soothe in digestion and as an aphrodisiac ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it as a cure-all for intestinal worms gout scurvy food poisoning tuberculosis Kolak and rheumatism number 5 birdhouse gourd resonating from southern Africa this gourd is also called calabash bottle gourd white flowering gourd long melon New Guinea bean and Tasmania bean gourds were one of the first cultivated plants not for consumption but the containers they offer bottle gourds been carried across Africa to Asia Europe and the Americas as humans migrated across the planet the calabash gourd is unrelated to the calabash tree which yields fruits that can be used to make utensils containers and musical instruments as well it's believed a wide variety of bottle gourds drifted across the ocean to other continents around 10,000 years ago this vine grown bed G produces multiple gourds per plant that take around four months to grow as mild flavor much like a summer squash and cucumber but with a more firm texture young birdhouse gourd has light green smooth skin with white flesh inside they can be harvested young for consumption or mature as a vestibule in Africa they're used to collect and store palm wine as well as to make a kora which is a 21 string musical instrument the calabash comes in a variety of shapes and sizes including large and round bottle shaped and long and slim they're used in curries stir-fries soups stuffed and baked or toasted or added to sushi rolls as camp you'll a marinated dried strip of calabash this low-calorie food contains vitamin C zinc iron calcium folate B vitamins at fiber which helps aid in digestion most commonly juiced liquid is full of nutrition and is said to help regulate blood sugar levels it's important to note if the juice of the bottle gourd is bitter tasting is likely containing toxins which can cause ulcers digestive tract issues and even death number 4 Paris market round carrot this early Persian market type carrot is instantly recognizable by its round shape popular in France this carrot is like an upgraded version of the 19th century French heirlooms that would only yield carrots that are one to two inches in diameter at full size the Paris market round carrot will measure around half a foot in diameter favored for its taste these round carrots pack a lot of sweetness to them like other varieties of carrots they don't grow well in heavy clay soil breathable well draining block soils best for these carrots but they can also be grown in containers ripening in 50 to 70 days these unique carrots don't transplant well and need to be direct so into the ground good companion plants to go along with them are onions garlic leeks chives rosemary sage and tomatoes providing a potent source of beta-carotene vitamin C ke8 folate zinc iron phosphorus sodium calcium niacin and vitamin b6 the Paris market also has a long list of health benefits offering reduced risk of breast and colon cancer improved eye and oral health lower blood pressure a boost to immunity reduce risk of stroke and aiding in digestion controlling diabetes and regulating blood cholesterol not bad for a little round carrot number 3 black nightshade berries early native tribes being the Cherokee Iroquois and Colston and Indians used this plant and berry as a crucial supply of food and natural medicine considered to be a toxic poisonous weed in some parts of the world for staple food source and others this berry is sometimes confused with the deadly nightshade berry which offers an unpleasant toxic hallucinogenic experience being a bushy plant up to 3 feet or 1 meter that will die away after a few seasons black nightshade will produce purple flowers that will turn into purple fruit I'll be the size of your fingernail when fully ripe while purple on the outside the inside is green and juicy with a lot of pull taking like a mix of a tomato a tomatillo and a blueberry this fruit or vegetable depending on what you consider members of the nightshade family to be as unique complex flavor both the berries and the greens are edible as long as they're ripe used in both savory and sweet applications the black nightshade berry it's a nice addition to stir-fries curries chile lasagna soups stews and even jams preserves and pie fillings when juiced not only does their purple color but their flavor tends to dominate overtaking the nasty taste of many greens making an ideal addition to green juices they're also a welcome addition to a banana smoothie adding a unique flavor that is an overwhelmingly tomato tasting both the leaves and berries are used in a number of traditional medicines offering relief from depression scarlet fever skin issues and toothaches number two cuca melon home to Mexico and Central America the cuca melon is more commonly known for its Spanish name spend eita or little watermelon growing to the size of a grape this veggie grows on a thin climbing vine protruding off of it every half a foot offering a very crisp bite to get to the inside of it it's like eating a cucumber that has a more interesting flavor to it inside there are a few seeds and some soft flesh the eating experience isn't is soft and water is a cucumber because of their size found at farmers markets in my backyard cuca melon is in common but their seeds that are available online so between April and May this plant shouldn't be put in the ground until after the last frost 80 days until ready this plant needs a steady supply of water to properly fruit added to salads eaten raw off the vine cooked juiced add to cocktails and pickled this little veggie pairs well with tomatoes chilies garlic fennel watermelon honeydew and cilantro providing a high source of vitamin kcee and fiber cuckoo melon is a healthy addition to any diet cuckoo melon is also high in lycopene an antioxidant shown to improve the heart and beta-carotene which is great for maintaining skin and eye health number one maize morado dating back to the Incan Empire in 3000 to 2500 BC this purple corn originated in the mid altitude region of Peru spreading across the coast up to the Andes Mountains the Incan Empire used this corn for making natural dyes and averages like chica morado a purple corn and pineapple based drink that was consumed fresh or fermented into an alcohol uses a colorful addition to salads tostadas sautes boiled or grilled purple corn can be juiced or used to make sweet or savory baked goods dried corn kernels are also ground and meat into tortillas and chips maize morado or coolie corn as it's also called is a tasty variety of corn that is packed full of nutrition the phytonutrients phenolic acids and flavonoids all present in this corn offer anti-inflammatory properties and help prevent weight gain the anthocyanins give it its deep rich purple color which is also an indicator of its antioxidants such as other dark foods like blueberries bread cabbage and black nightshade berries have you ever tried in these vegetables before maybe you want to grow some in your garden we've linked up seed listings for all of these in the description below they're going on vacation anytime soon to a tropical country and planning on testing out some exotic fruit we recommend you check out our tropical fruit guide which will help you save a lot of money bartering for fruit don't forget to like the video subscribe and until the next one have a good one

Channel: Earth Titan

Views: 420,609

Rating: 4.6269011 out of 5

Keywords: top 10 vegetables you've never heard of, rare vegetable, unique vegetable, exotic vegetable, unusual vegetables, weird vegetables, weird veggies, exotic asian vegetables, tropical vegetables, rare root vegetables, maiz morado, kulli corn, cucamelon, black nightshade berries, paris market round carrot, birdhouse gourd, bottle gourd, horseradish, lemon cucumber, egyptian luffa, luffa aegyptiaca, luffa fruit, orange cauliflower, lemon drop pepper, titan top list

Id: WWciu8uX-Lk

Length: 14min 35sec (875 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 30 2018