seasonal star.
SWEDE
Veg hero of the month.
Sturdy and dependable, the swede is the Volvo of the vegetable world and, although overlooked by food snobs in favour of more flashy veg such as cavolo nero and celeriac, it over-delivers on both nutrition and flavour
RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON ILLUSTRATIONS POLLYANNA COUPLAND
Five essential swede questions answered
1 WHAT IS A SWEDE?
Its Latin name is Brassica napus and it’s a roundish root vegetable with a purple-green skin and pale yellow flesh. It’s basically a cross between a turnip and a cabbage.
2 ARE SWEDES SWEDISH?
Not exactly. They appear to have been first grown in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) in the 17th century but were most likely introduced to Britain at the beginning of the 19th century when King Gustav III of Sweden sent seeds to a Scottish botanist and inventor. It’s a hardy veg that grows well in cold climates, so it thrived in the north.