Salsify

Oyster flavour

Salsify’s common name is “oyster plant” and its flavour is compared to oysters — a faint, subtle, mineral taste that is more noticeable when the root is freshly cooked and served simply with butter. The flavour is not overwhelming; it is a background note that makes salsify interesting rather than pungent. Many people find the cooked roots milder and blander than expected, resembling a sweet, starchy root with an elusive complexity.

Victorian popularity

Salsify was widely grown and eaten in Britain, France, and Germany throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. Victorian kitchen gardens included it routinely alongside parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. The introduction of more productive and easier-to-grow root vegetables in the 20th century pushed it off kitchen tables; by the mid-20th century it had largely disappeared from British cuisine and was found only in specialist greengrocers.

Scorzonera

Black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) is botanically distinct but culinarily similar. Its skin is dark brown-black but the flesh inside is white. Scorzonera is generally considered to have a slightly superior flavour to white salsify and is more commonly grown in France and the Netherlands. Peeling scorzonera is messy — the sticky milky latex stains hands and knife blades.

Preparation

Both types discolour rapidly once peeled. They should be dropped immediately into cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar. Parboiling whole (or as large pieces) before peeling minimises the discolouration problem and is the standard preparation method.