Vegetables

• Vegetables are classified according to which

part of the plant is eaten. Some vegetables
may fall into more than one category when
more than one part of the plant is eaten, e.g.
both the roots and leaves of beetroot can be
eaten.

The Plant
 Classification of Vegetables
• Bulbs
Usually grow just below the surface of the ground and produce a fleshy, leafy
shoot above ground. Bulbs usually consist of layers or clustered segments.
e.g. onion, shallot, garlic, spring onion, leek, fennel
• Flowers
The edible flowers of certain vegetables.
e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, gaai laan (Chinese sprouting broccoli), broccoflower,
globe artichoke
• Fruits
Vegetable fruit are fleshy and contain seeds.
e.g. egg plant, capsicum, courgette, okra, pumpkin, tomato, choko, scallopini
• Fungi
When referring to vegetables, fungi are commonly known as mushrooms.
e.g. button, flats, shitake, oyster, gourmet brown, wood ear, enokitaki, truffle

Leaves
The edible leaves of plants.
e.g. bok choy, cabbage, lettuce, silver beet, spinach, witloof, puha
• Roots
Usually a long or round-shaped taproot.
e.g. carrot, turnip, beetroot, swede, radish, parsnip, celeriac
• Seeds
Also know as legumes, seeds are usually obtained from pods. The pod is
sometimes eaten along with the seed.
e.g. broad been, French bean, pea, snow pea, snake beans, butter beans
• Stems
The edible stalks of plants when the stalk is the main part of the vegetable.
e.g. asparagus, celery, kohlrabi
• Tubers
Vegetables which grow underground on the root of a plant.
e.g. potato, kumara, yam, taro, Jerusalem artichoke, Maori potato.
 Pigments and Colours of Vegetables
• Colour Phytochemical Fruits and vegetables
• Green Chlorophyll Broccolo, kale
• Orange Carotene Carrot, mango,
pumpkin
• Red Lycopene Tomato
• Red-purple Anthocyanins Grapes, blackberries,
raspberries,
blueberries
• Orange-yellow Flavonoids Honeydew melon,
peach, papaya,
orange
• Yellow-green Lutein and zeaxanthin Spinach, corn,
avocado, melon
• White Flavones Cauliflower, onion

Other Nutriants
• Vitamin A, B, C and Niacin
• Tannins which are complex orgnic compounds
are widely distributed in plants they on
oxidation turn brown.
• Carbohydrates
• Cellulose
• Pectin
• High water %