Parsnip

Parsnip is a cream-colored, tapered root vegetable with firm, starchy flesh. It tastes sweet, nutty, and earthy, and roasting draws out caramel-sweet edges. It turns tender when cooked, purées silky, and also shaves thin for raw salads. Sold mostly whole and fresh, sometimes pre-peeled or cut; large roots may have a woody core worth trimming.\n\nNative to Eurasia, it became a cold-season staple in northern Europe—especially British and Irish cuisines—before spreading to North America. Commercial crops thrive in temperate climates, often sweetened by frost, with harvests concentrated in fall and winter.