Vegetables provides us proteins, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Almost 42% of the Indian population are vegetarian, and they always include one or two types of vegetables in all their meals. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, roots, and seeds. Originally, vegetables were collected from the wild by hunter-gatherers and entered cultivation in several parts of the world. Vegetables can be both seasonal and annual. Various seasonal vegetable sees a hike in their prices when the favorable season passes.
Exotic vegetables
Historically many exotic vegetables eventually became an integral part of local cuisines & got popularized more than the local varieties. In India, currently, vegetables that are referred as exotic have been introduced in the last few decades.
Some of the exotic vegetables in India are not yet household names, while some of them are slowly gaining popularity. Still, for now, these vegetables are primarily confined to elite restaurants & affluent Indian families.
1. Asparagus
The tender part of its stem known as the spear or ‘Top’ is blanched Bromeliad Zebrina or Aechmea Zebrina is a lovely plant
2. Cherry Tomato
This is a small distinct variety of tomato treated as a different vegetable. The plant is weak, it forms cherry tomato in bunches during harvesting season & needs a support of a trellis.
3. Zucchini
This variety of summer squash belongs to the same species that of other squashes & pumpkin. The fruit is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment.
4. Celery
Leaves and stem are used in soups & salads as flavorings. It takes a 4-5 month from seed sowing to harvest.
5. Parsley
This can be an excellent flavoring herb & decoration material for sandwiches & salads. It can be easily grown in containers from seeds, takes 6-8 weeks to be ready.
6. Baby Corn
Baby corns are used in a variety of dishes, in all low to high ends restaurants. Apart from being used in the making of famous cuisines like Italian and Chinese, this vegetable is also a low-calorie food. So, the demand for baby corn is high in markets due to the lesser availability and cultivation in India.