This Mediterranean beauty is black as night and tastes like sweet radish. She is a relative of the orange carrot and at the same time differs from her in taste and color. Meet the black carrot - the queen of the fields of Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt!
What are black carrots?
Scorzonera, this is how the black root vegetable is correctly called, is not a new variety of ordinary carrots. This crop was cultivated in the eastern Mediterranean as early as the 16th century for medicinal and culinary purposes. Today it can be found in many eastern countries. In Russia, gardeners practically do not grow it, perhaps simply due to a lack of information on proper cultivation.
Scorchonera stems are dark green in color, up to 70 cm high, leaves are ovoid or lanceolate. Inflorescences appear in May, they have a bright yellow hue and exude a pleasant vanilla scent. Cylindrical root vegetable outside is black in color, inside it is white, delicate. Fruit length is usually about 15 cm, width - 5 cm, weight - up to 150-200 grams. It appears in the first year after planting. It is very well stored in the ground; to protect it from the cold, it is enough to mulch with dry grass or sawdust.
Peduncles and seeds are formed only in the second year, therefore, black carrots are mainly planted for this amount of time.
Types and varieties of plants
The best option to see all the variety of scorzonera varieties is to go to a specialized store in Turkey. The seeds of the "Spanish Black", "Black Knight", "Purple Dragon" and Pusa Asita are on display here and are great for growing in greenhouses. If you do not have the opportunity to visit an eastern country, pay attention to the varieties that have already taken root in Russian summer cottages:
- Overseas Delicacy - mid-season with a slightly raised rosette, reaching a height of 17 cm. The root crop is cylindrical in shape, painted in dark brown. Its length does not exceed 35 cm, weight - 130 grams.
- Curative - mid-early grade. It has elongated ovoid leaves and long roots. A conical root crop, weighing up to 80 grams. Its white flesh tastes sweet.
- Sunny Premiere - an early variety with a vertical rosette made up of elongated ovoid leaves. The root crop is dark brown in color, lightweight (up to 80 grams) and sufficient length (up to 32 cm). The yield is usually 1.5-2 kg per 1 sq. meters.
- Gypsy - dietary two-year variety. The root crop is black, cylindrical, up to 30 cm in length. Its pulp contains a large amount of milky juice, which is very beneficial for diabetics.
Seeds of any of the described varieties can be ordered by Mail, if suddenly in your city they are not in the store. Cost - from 15 rubles per bag.
The back of a bag of black carrot seeds usually tells you how to grow the carrot.
The benefits and harms of a root crop
The vegetable is rich in vitamins B and C, iron, calcium and other trace elements. It contains inulin, which affects the level of cholesterol in the blood, as well as a number of biologically active components that improve the functioning of the heart, stomach, intestines and kidneys. Therefore, it is very often used for the production of medicines.
Scorzonera has no contraindications. But in any case, when using the root crop for the first time, you should be careful, as you may have an individual intolerance. Also, in some cases, the root vegetable is capable of producing a slight laxative effect.
Healing properties
Due to the fact that scorzonera is rich in vitamins and minerals, it is often used to treat various diseases. Doctors recommend using it in the fight against obesity, diabetes mellitus, influenza and ARVI viruses, avitaminosis and anemia. But it also helps to lower blood pressure, improve visual acuity (several times better than an ordinary root vegetable), and relieve various inflammations in the body.
In the Middle Ages in the Mediterranean countries, black carrots were used to create antidotes for the bites of poisonous snakes, including vipers.
Cooking applications
At first glance, it is impossible to use scorzonera. In appearance, it is very similar to a thick straight root of a plant, for example, a mandrake, or even an ordinary slightly burnt stick. But this opinion changes as soon as the skin is removed. The flesh of black carrots is white and very juicy, smells like vanilla. It tastes like either sweet radish or asparagus. It can be added to any soups, salads, main courses.
It is prepared in different ways: if it is added to the soup, it is washed and, sprinkled with hot water, peeled, then cut and thrown into a saucepan. If it is prepared for a salad, do the same, only then boil it for 20-30 minutes in salted water. However, the root vegetable can be eaten raw. To do this, it is enough to peel it, cut it and fill it with vegetable oil.
Due to its peculiar taste, scorzonera goes well with meat, fish, orange carrots, beets, cabbage and many other products. It is able to give a special aroma to soups and gravies, and the color to marmalade and jelly, which, after adding its juice, acquire a rich purple color. In general, black carrots can be used in the same way as regular orange ones. But what exactly to do with it can only be decided by the chefs themselves, i.e. you.
Conclusion
Scorzonera is still little known in Russiabut it needs to be fixed. Indeed, despite its peculiar appearance, color, a little whimsical character, it deserves, along with orange carrots, to take its rightful place on our tables. Do not forget about the benefits. This kind is much more valuable than its "brother", if only because it is the world's only natural source of very useful substance for the eyes - inulin.