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Understanding Vegetables
Appears in
By Jaclyn Pestka, Wayne Gisslen and Lou Sackett
Published 2010
Before you go on to more specialized work with vegetables, let’s review vegetable basics and introduce new information that will enhance your understanding of vegetable identification and preparation.
In culinary terms, a vegetable is a plant part that is prepared and served as a savory (nonsweet) food. This definition also includes many foods such as beans and tomatoes, which in the botanical sense are fruits.
To correctly select and serve vegetables, you must have a thorough understanding of the major culinary vegetable classifications and know when particular vegetables are in season.