The globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is one of the oldest known cultivated vegetables, originating from Ethiopia, with Italy currently being the world’s largest producer. It was valued

Asparagus originates from The Mediterranean, and the Southern and Northern areas of Africa, with Egypt possibly being the first to cultivate asparagus, where it was valued for it’s

Health benefits of beetroot include cholesterol lowering, liver function support and possible cancer prevention. Studies have demonstrated that red beet products used regularly in the diet

Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables, and originated from European wild cabbage where it has been around for 2,000 years. It was introduced into England in the early

Cabbage was brought to Europe from Asia by roving bands of Celtic people and quickly became a popular food crop throughout northern Europe. In the oldest surviving work of Latin prose,

The cultivated carrot as we know it today is a far cry from the wild carrot found growing about 5,000 years ago in the area now known as Afghanistan. These wild varieties were purple or black,

Celery is a member of the carrot family, and originates from the Mediterranean, and was introduced into the US in the early 1900’s. The medicinal properties of celery were mentioned in the

The eggplant is considered to originate from India where it grew wild, and was first cultivated in China. It was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages by the Moors where it soon became

Garlic originates in Central Asia, and is one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants. It has been documented in Sanskrit writings 5,000 years ago. There are numerous citations

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is native to Asia, and Arabian traders brought it to Ancient Rome about 2000 years ago. Chinese herbalists have used ginger since the 4th century BC for treating

Green beans, sometimes known as string beans, snap beans or French beans in the UK, and are the green or unripe fruits of all beans including the common bean. In comparison to the

The radish is believed to have originated in southern Asia and was cultivated in Egypt in 2780 BCE. The first cultivated radishes were black and later on there were white varieties, and red

Shiitake mushrooms are an edible variety of mushroom native to China, particularly known for their healing properties.  The mushrooms themselves are brown and fleshy with a curved cap

Spinach originates from Asia or Persia where it grew in the wild, and has been cultivated in China for the past 2000 years. The Moors introduced spinach into Spain in the 11th century, and

There are almost 400 hundred varieties of sweet potato, including what is commonly known in the US as a yam. A true yam is the root of the Dioscorea genus of plants, and the word yam is