Facts
In German, men with a somewhat weak physique are often ridiculed as “asparagus Tarzans”. Even though asparagus was chosen for this metaphor for its shape, it also needs to be mentioned that the vegetable has hardly any calories, either. In other words, you are what you eat.
Facts
Substituting cigarettes with aubergines? There is some truth to this myth. Just like other nightshades – a family that also includes the potato and the tomato – aubergines contain nicotine. Don’t worry, though: the content is vanishingly small.
Facts
Children use the autumn turnip to make lanterns for lantern processions. In the old days, autumn turnips were carved and used as lights on the way to the harvest church service. It’s the origin of today’s turnip lantern processions.
Facts
Green, yellow and red bell peppers are popular as a pizza topping and in salads. Known as “peperoni” in Swiss German, they often cause confusion for Swiss tourists who order pizza in the US, where “pepperoni” is a sausage spiced with paprika.
Facts
The carrot is to vegetables what the apple is to fruit. However, despite its alternative name of “carrot country”, the canton of Aargau is not the main grower of Switzerland’s favourite vegetable; it is the canton of St. Gallen and the Bernese Seeland region.
Facts
Does the chickpea have something to do with freshly hatched chicken, as the name suggests? Not quite. Its Latin name is “Cicer arietinum”, whch was anglicised into “chick”. Either way, chickpeas are very popular, particularly in the shape of a lovely hummus.
Facts
Chicory, the Belgian national vegetable, was discovered by mistake. In 1830, a Belgian farmer forgot he had chicory roots in his cellar. They started to sprout offshoots and chicory the vegetable was born.
Facts
Courgettes are a type of squash with a very special feature: all plants have separate male and female flowers, which are both edible and delicious.
Facts
The cucumber is a true allrounder. Tired? Skip the coffee for some cucumber. Bad breath? Press a slice of cucumber to your hard palate for 30 seconds. Thirsty? Cucumbers are 95 per cent water and can help you stay hydrated. Give it a try!
Facts
Fennel is often used in Mediterranean cuisine. Here’s a fun fact: the Greek word for fennel is “marathon”. Technically, that makes the marathon a “fennel run”.
Facts
Flower sprouts have only recently been introduced to Switzerland – they are still known by their English name. They are a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale that was introduced to the English market in 2010.
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Garlic is extremely healthy. However, its smell and taste are not to everybody’s liking. Some people are even afraid of garlic. The condition is called alliumphobia.
Facts
What does iceberg lettuce have to do with ice? In the old days, iceberg salad was mainly grown in the East of the United States. To make sure it was still fresh upon delivery, it was stored on blocks of ice while transported in railway carriages. This is what led to the lettuce’s name.
Facts
Jerusalem artichoke is a very exotic name for a vegetable. Its varieties, however, sound much more familiar. Henriette, Bianca, Lola and Medius could almost be a group of friends.
Facts
Kardy is mostly eaten in France, Italy and Spain. In most parts of Switzerland, the vegetable is hardly known at all. Except for Western Switzerland, that is. Kardy is considered a delicacy there and often served at Christmas.
Facts
Lamb’s lettuce sounds somewhat nicer than the German “common field salad”. It is anything but common, and has been given a host of lovely and evocative German names over the years: Vogerlsalat, Ackersalat, Mausohrsalat, Nüsschen, Nüssler, Schafmäulchen, Sonnewirbele and Rapunzel.
Facts
Lentils are tasty, rich in vitamins, easily digestible and available in yellow, red, green and black. An ideal vegetable by any measure, or is it? There are certain compounds in lentils that are bad for humans, toxic even. But don’t worry. Cooking renders them harmless.
Facts
The name sounds a little crazy but refers to a type of leaf lettuce that comes in the varieties lollo bionda (green) and lollo rosso (red). Also known as coral lettuce. Its prominent feature – apart from the colour – are its curly leaves.
Facts
It is not entirely clear how many kinds of lupin or wolf bean (lupus = wolf) there are and not all are edible for humans. The wolf bean is extremely rich in protein, which is why it is often used as a substitute for soy.
Facts
Death by melon? Actually, the Habsburg emperor Friedrich III is said to have died of a melon overdose. However, chances are it was the double leg amputation performed on him two months earlier that killed him.
Facts
From the absurd to the scientifically proven, there are many tricks to avoid tears while chopping onions. Rinsing knife and onion with cold water before chopping and chopping the onion with the mouth full of water are both said to be tried and tested methods.
Facts
Parents of toddlers particularly appreciate the parsnip for its slightly sweet taste and low nitrate content – it is perfect to make baby food.
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If you think you might have seen a small UFO in the garden, you shouldn’t worry. It was probably a patisson squash, also known as flying saucer squash for its distinctive shape.
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This small green pulse is one of the oldest vegetables in the world. Peas were cultivated and eaten as early as 8,000 B.C.
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What is the origin of the name “couch potato”? In the 70s, a group of Americans formed an association to counteract the huge fitness wave of the time. They called themselves the couch potatoes. That was somewhat unfair – potatoes are healthy!
Facts
The yellow purslane flowers don’t like working long hours – they are only open in the morning. It is generally a rather fussy plant: the seeds only germinate at temperatures higher than 25 degrees Celsius, and only if there’s enough light. As little as five millimetres of ground cover are too much for purslane seeds.
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2013 was officially called the year of quinoa by the UN. It was given this honour for being low maintenance yet nourishing and very versatile for cooking. It is considered a great food to combat world hunger.
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Radish is a family of three species with their own subspecies, one of which is the small radish. However, the hot horseradish that is often used a spice is not part of this family.
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Most Swiss Germans refer to rocket by its Italian name, “rucola”, which is why its German name has been largely forgotten. Or did you know that rocket is called “Rauke” in German?
Facts
The flower head of the Romanesco broccoli features Fibonacci spirals and is therefore particularly appealing to mathematicians. The form of the whole Romanesco broccoli mirrors the arrangement of its blossoms. But a fondness for maths is not required to enjoy this vegetable. It tastes excellent and leaves its white cousin, the cauliflower, far behind when it comes to vitamin C.
Facts
“At that moment down the cellar
(Dreaming not what soon befell her)
Widow Tibbets went for sour
Krout, which she would oft devour
With exceeding great desire
(Warmed a little at the fire).” Sauerkraut in Wilhelm Busch’s “Max and Maurice”
Facts
Six per cent of the planet’s agricultural land is being used to grow soy. Its protein is similar to animal protein, which is why it is often used for vegetarian meat substitutes.
Facts
Did you know that the squash isn’t a vegetable, but a fruit? It is a berry fruit, to be exact. The reason for this is that the seeds are in the flesh of the squash.
Facts
Even though Swiss chard has many great properties like high a vitamin C, calcium and protein contents, this leaf vegetable is not for everyone. People suffering from goat or kidney complaints and children should only enjoy Swiss chard in moderation. A glass of milk can help to neutralise the acid.
Facts
The quintessential tomato does not exist – there are more than 3,200 varieties of all shapes and sizes. And botanically, the tomato is not a vegetable, but a fruit.
Facts
The may turnip, this rather small, roundish and small root vegetable features very prominently in the municipal coat of arms of Austrian town Keutschach am See.
Facts
The yellow turnip has long had the reputation of a wartime vegetable. During the First World War, there was food scarcity in Germany. Up until that point, yellow turnips had been used as animal feed. However, due to its sturdiness, this root vegetable soon found its way into the local kitchens.
When are Swiss vegetables in season?
Shopping regionally and eating seasonally are at the core of a sustainable diet. If you are unsure about what vegetable is in season when, you have come to the right place. From “A” as in aubergine to “Z” as in Zucchini, our Swiss seasonal calendar reveals at a single glance which vegetable is in season. Seasonal shopping has just become much simpler.
Reasons to buy Swiss seasonal vegetables
By far the biggest CO2 emissions come from vegetables flown in by aeroplane. To be exact, they create ten times as much as vegetables transported by lorry. Why not substitute exotic avocados with tasty local carrots?
Of course, buying seasonal vegetables means having to make do without certain products. However, we believe that it is worth it. As we know, anticipation is half the pleasure and besides, seasonal vegetables from the region are not only great for the environment, they also taste much better. Why? The vegetables are harvested when ripe and therefore do not need to after-ripen on the shelves. Vegetables grown during their proper season generally also need less fertiliser. You can tell from the taste. Savour the intense and lovely taste when you enjoy Swiss vegetables next time.
How do farmers package their vegetables at the farmers’ market? Well, they certainly do not individually wrap them in plastic. Buying Swiss seasonal vegetables directly from local farmers helps to reduce packaging material and, with it, waste.
Save money and buy seasonal vegetables. Asparagus is available all year round. However, it is definitely cheapest during asparagus season. Seasonal vegetables simply cost less.
Another reason to buy Swiss seasonal vegetables is the social impact. What does that mean? Seasonality and regionality go hand in hand. The production chain of regional products is much more transparent and easier to monitor than that of other products. By buying seasonal vegetables, you support the farmers in your region and make a valuable contribution towards maintaining jobs.
When is vegetable season?
There is no one vegetable season. Each season brings us its own range of seasonal vegetables. Buying seasonal vegetables, automatically leads to a varied diet. In spring, cauliflower, cucumber or May turnips are on the menu, while artichokes, beans and peas are being harvested on Swiss soil in the summer. Autumnal seasonal vegetables include autumn turnips, kardy and, of course, the classic that is the squash. Finally, in winter, we can look forward to colewort, palm kale and black salsify.
There is a richness of Swiss seasonal vegetables – discover them in the seasonal calendar.