A selection of unusual and exotic vegetables from around the world (14 photos)

You walk through the market, and there are only the usual vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onions, beet, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant and other guys we know. But with exotics, the choice, of course, is not so great. Many of the vegetables in this post you may have never seen or even heard of. Find out what they are called, where they grow and what they taste like in our educational selection.

Oka or tuberous oxalis





In its consistency and taste, oka is somewhat reminiscent of potatoes. The plant was previously cultivated in the Andes of South America.

Soleros or sea asparagus



It grows on rocky lands near oceans. Sea asparagus is incredibly popular in England.

Chayote





A funny and unusual plant of the pumpkin family, native to Central America. It tastes like zucchini.

Fern rachis



Young, not yet developed shoots of fern, which are absolutely edible and are used as food in many countries.

Plantain



It turns out that bananas can be vegetables. These include, for example, plantain. It is not eaten raw. It must be thermally treated (fry, boil or steam).

Chontaduro



A crop that tastes like sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn.

A crop that tastes like sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn.



This plant, similar to both squash and asparagus, grows in Africa, India and the Middle East.

Pumpkin "Wee-Bee-Little"



A miniature pumpkin variety, the size of which does not exceed a tennis ball.

Melotria



These are not small watermelons, but special tropical cucumbers that were first grown in Central America.

Yam



Yams are a tuber crop similar to potatoes. Grown in tropical and subtropical regions, it is widely used in cooking throughout the world.

Momordica



Momordica, also known as bitter cucumber, is a fruiting plant often used in cooking and traditional medicine. Its fruits have a bitter taste and are high in vitamins and antioxidants. Momordica is widely used in Asian cuisine.

Chinese long bean



It is a leguminous plant grown for its edible green pods containing immature seeds.

Chistets related



No, these are not small larvae, but edible tubers that can be eaten raw, pickled in vinegar or steamed. The plant comes from Asia.

Bonus: Pepino



Pepino is a plant belonging to the nightshade family. It is something between a vegetable and a fruit. It all depends on the degree of maturity. Ripe fruits are eaten raw; they have a sweet, pleasant taste. Unripe pepino fruits are more suitable for salads - it is better to heat them. The plant grows in Chile and Peru.