Vegetable Families Overview

Includes plants like onions, garlic, and shallots, known for their pungent flavor from sulfur compounds.

Native to the Andes Mountains (Bolivia and Peru), domesticated over 7,000 years ago; important starchy food source.

A staple food, rich in carbohydrates (starch) & vitamins, but with relatively little protein; largely propagated vegetatively.

Economically important tropical tubers, like yellow/white, water, and cush-cush yam; propagated by cutting tubers.

A fungal disease devastating potato crops, resulting in famine, notably in Ireland in the 1840s.

A significant commercial corm, a staple carbohydrate source in tropical regions. Grows in water-saturated soils, and must be cooked to remove irritant crystals.

A tropical starchy root crop; vital starch source, especially in Africa. Contains poisonous cyanogenic glycosides that need to be removed.

A highly nutritious root vegetable, but more susceptible to pathogens than other root crops. Often mistaken for yams, despite originating in Central & South America.

A plant family including carrots and parsnips. A source of spices, carbohydrates, and herbs. The modern orange carrot is a relatively recent cultivar.

A plant family including the cultivated beet, which originated from the wild sea-beet along the Mediterranean coast.

A large plant family (eudicot) containing mainly perennial herbs and low woody shrubs. Many species have fragrant "minty" essential oils in their leaves.

The leaves are used as spices, either fresh or dried. Essential oils are extracted for use in cosmetics and flavorings.

Native to the Mediterranean region, first used by Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans.

A woody shrub with leaves that have a sharp, pungent flavor widely used in cooking.

Drying can result in some loss of essential oils.

A type of flowering plant characterized by having two cotyledons (seed leaves) inside the seed.

Fragrant oils produced by many plants, often stored in specialized cells. They provide flavor and aroma.

Used in the cosmetics industry for fragrances and in food production as flavorings.

A biennial herb widely used in cooking as a garnish and in soups, salads, stews, and meat dishes.

An annual herb with leaves used as a seasoning and garnish, and seeds used to flavor pickles, vinegars, and fish and meat dishes.

A plant family including carrots, parsnips, celery, and several important spices.

Parsley was a popular herb with the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Dill has become naturalized in much of North America, Europe, and Asia.

The Carrot Family includes several spices, including parsley and dill.

Parsley is used as both a garnish and a potherb in soups, salads, stews, and meat dishes.

Dill's leaves are used as a seasoning and garnish, and its seeds are used to flavor pickles, vinegars, and dishes.

A pungent spice native to India, known for its seeds and fruit, used in Indian cooking. It can be used whole, ground or as a powder.

A spice made from the dried berries of a tree native to the Americas, combining the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Major types are Tabasco and Habanero, with Habanero being the hottest. Milder chili peppers, like Jalapeno, belong to the species C. annuum.

Used fresh, dried, or pickled for hot sauces. Paprika is made by drying and grinding mild chili peppers. Chili powder is a blend of dried chili pepper, cumin, garlic, and oregano.

A flavor extracted from the mature fruit or bean of a vine in the Orchid family, grown in Southeast Asia and Africa. Artificial vanilla, made from wood pulp, is cheaper but lacks the complex flavor of natural vanilla.

Aromatic leaves with opposite arrangement, usually simple with a square stem. Flowers are bilaterally symmetrical (two-lipped), often in spikes or whorls.

Includes basil, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Mainly native to the Mediterranean region.

Both are pungent, peppery spices native to the Eastern Hemisphere, used in cooking and medicine.

Black, brown, and white mustard seeds are used to create pungent condiment pastes with varying levels of spice and bitterness.

Tarragon's fragrant leaves are used to flavor French mustard and vinegar, adding a unique aroma and taste.

Dried bay leaves are added to soups and dishes for flavor, adding a touch of traditional savory depth, but aren't meant for eating.

Saffron, the most expensive spice, is derived from the styles (stigmas) of the saffron crocus flower. 1 gram requires 150 flowers.

Saffron adds a distinctive flavor and a vibrant yellow-orange color to food, resulting in a gourmet experience

These are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family, similar to Tarragon, whose flowers are used for refreshing herbal tea.

Both Caraway and Ajwain are used for their medicinal properties, demonstrating the historical connection between food and medicine.

Derived from the inner bark of Cinnamonum trees, harvested, cleaned, dried, and powdered. Two main types are Chinese cassia cinnamon (stronger flavor) and Sri Lanka "true cinnamon" (more delicate flavor).

Cinnamon is native to Southeast Asia, specifically Sri Lanka and parts of China.

A yellow spice derived from the rhizome of a plant in the ginger family.

A plant with red or orange flowers that produce seeds used to extract oil and a pigment.

Often used as less expensive alternatives to saffron, offering similar visual effects in food or other products.

A seasoning or flavoring derived from plants, typically the seeds, bark, roots, or other parts.

Spices typically originate in tropical regions, where warm climates and diverse plant life flourish.

Spices have diverse applications beyond cooking, for example, as perfumes, dyes, and medicinal ingredients.

Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of a tree. They are a popular spice used in Asian and European cooking. Clove oil is also used as a local anesthetic and disinfectant.

Cloves originate from the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, also known as the Spice Islands.

Nutmeg is the grated seed of a magnoliid tree, while mace is the dried aril (covering) surrounding the seed. Both are pungent spices used in cooking, with nutmeg being more common.

Nutmeg and mace originate from the Banda Islands in Indonesia, also known as the Spice Islands.

Black pepper is the dried berry of a vine. It is distinct from chili peppers and is widely used as a spice. White pepper comes from fully ripened berries and has a milder flavor.

Black pepper originates from the Malabar region of southwest India.

Ginger is the rhizome (underground stem) of a plant. It is used fresh or dried as a spice and has medicinal properties.

Ginger originates from India and southern China.

Jicama belongs to the Fabaceae family, also known as the legume family.

Jicama is a herbaceous perennial vine, meaning it's a non-woody plant that lives for more than two years and often goes dormant in winter.

Jicama is native to Mexico and Central America, where it was first domesticated.

Jicama is most widely grown and used in Mexico and Southeast Asia.

The tuberous root of the jicama plant is harvested, peeled, and eaten.

The Jatropha species Jatropha curcas belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, also known as the spurge family.

Jatropha curcas is a woody shrub or small tree that grows as a perennial. This means it's not herbaceous and lives for multiple years.

Jatropha curcas is originally from the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Jatropha is primarily cultivated for its oil-rich seeds, which are used in the production of biodiesel.

The Jatropha oil is extracted through a multi-step process: harvesting seeds, drying them, crushing them, pressing the oil, filtering it, and sometimes refining it.

Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha) belongs to the Burseraceae family, which includes other aromatic trees like frankincense.

Myrrh is a woody perennial tree, meaning it's a long-lived tree with a hard trunk.

The resin produced by myrrh trees is the part used commercially. It's extracted from the bark.

Myrrh resin is collected by making incisions in the bark of mature trees. It oozes out and hardens into "tears".

Myrrh resin is used in various ways, including as a spice, an incense, and a traditional medicine.