Ingredient: Swede (rutabaga)
Category: Vegetables
Season: All
The swede, or (yellow) turnip (Brassica napobrassica, or Brassica napus var. napobrassica) is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip.
"Rutabaga" (from dialectal Swedish "rotabagge", root ram) is the common American English term for the plant,
Its leaves can also be eaten as a leaf vegetable., while "swede" (Swede) is the preferred term used in much of England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand.
In the U.S., the plant is also known as "Swedish turnip" or "yellow turnip".
In Ireland and Atlantic Canada, where turnips are relatively unknown, it is called turnip.
In Scots, it is either "tumshie" or "neep", and the turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) instead is called a "white turnip".
Scots will refer to both types by the generic term "neep" (a contraction of the archaic pronunciation "turneep"). Some will also refer to both types as just "turnip".
Scottish people refer to only large roots as turnips.
In North-East England, turnips and swedes/rutabagas are colloquially called "snadgies". They should not be confused with the large beet known as a mangelwurzel.
In Sweden, its common name is "kålrot" (cabbage root).
In Norway it is also called "kålrot", but often also "kålrabi" (which in Sweden and Denmark means kohlrabi).
In Finnish, it is called "lanttu", which is derived from the Swedish "planta", meaning plant or seedling. (Finland was for many centuries part of the Swedish empire, and rutabaga has to be planted as seedlings due to the short Scandinavian growing season.)
Preparation:
Finland
Finns cook swede (lanttu) in a variety of ways; roasted to be served with meat dishes, as the major ingredient in the ever popular Christmas dish rutabaga casserol ("lanttulaatikko"), mixed with mashed potatoes, as a major flavour enhancer in soups, uncooked and thinly julienned as a side dish or in a salad, baked, or boiled.
Finns use swede in most dishes that call for any root vegetable.
Norway and Sweden
Swedes and Norwegians cook swede with potatoes and carrots and mash them with butter and cream or milk to create a puree called "rotmos" (root mash) and "kålrabistappe" in Swedish and Norwegian, respectively.
Onion is occasionally added.
In Norway, kålrabistappe is an obligatory accompaniment to many festive dishes , including smalahove, pinnekjøtt and salted herring..
In Scotland
Swede (neep) and potatoes are boiled and mashed separately to produce "tatties and neeps" ("tatties" being the Scots word for potatoes), traditionally served with the Scottish national dish of haggis, the main course of a Burns supper.
Neeps may also be mashed with potatoes to make clapshot. Regional variations include the addition of onions to clapshot in Orkney.
Neeps are also extensively used in soups and stews.
In England
In Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, swede is often mashed together with carrots, as part of the traditional Sunday roast.
In Canada
Swede (turnip) is used as filler in foods, such as mincemeat and Christmas cake, or as a side dish with Sunday dinner in Atlantic Canada.
In the US
Swede ( rutabaga) is mostly eaten as part of stews or casseroles, are served mashed with carrots, or baked in a pasty. |