What is the Difference Between Turnip and Turnip and How to Distinguish Them

In the century before last, turnip was the main remedy for rickets and diseases of bones and blood due to its high calcium content. Rutabaga was used not only in nutrition, but also in the treatment of cough. Their beneficial properties have long been studied, and now they are reappearing in our diet. How does one vegetable differ from another, you will learn from the article.

Difference between rutabaga and turnip

Turnip is a herbaceous annual or biennial plant of the Cabbage family. The edible root grows in the first year of planting. The stem of the turnip is high, with many leaves on it. The whole plant is green, the inflorescences are yellow. The history of cultivation of this culture has 4000 years, it was cultivated in Ancient Greece and Egypt. Then it was considered the food of slaves and peasants.

In Russia, the vegetable was an important food product and was mentioned in ancient chronicles. Only in the 18th century it was gradually replaced by potatoes. Turnips are sown as soon as the soil dries up, in early spring in a sunny place. A light loamy soil is suitable for this crop.

Swede Is a biennial plant from the Cabbage family... It was first described by the Swiss botanist Kaspar Baugin in 1620, which is why it is sometimes called the Swedish turnip. According to another version, the plant appeared in Siberia, from where it spread to the Scandinavian countries: Sweden, Germany and Finland.

Rutabaga is considered a hybrid of wild cabbage and turnip. The seeds of this cold-resistant vegetable germinate at a temperature of + 1 ... + 3 ° C and withstand a short-term cold snap down to -4 ° C. With prolonged heat and drought, the fruits become tasteless. Therefore, the crop is planted early and grown before summer. The stem of the turnip is high, straight, leafy. The lower leaves are pinnately cut. The whole plant is gray in color, the inflorescences are yellow.

Both vegetables are cold-resistant and early ripening.... During the summer, you can get two crops of turnip. This culture has short pods, seeds are red-brown, spherical. Rutabaga seeds are dark brown balls with a diameter of up to 1.8 mm.

Plants differ from each other in shape and color.... The shape of the swede depends on the variety. There are root crops of a round, cylindrical or round-flat shape. The upper part of the fruit, protruding from the ground, is gray or purple, the lower part is yellow. The flesh is pale orange.

Turnip has a round-flat shape, inside and outside it is golden yellow in color... The weight of one root crop varies from 60 to 500 g, and the weight of the swede varies from 300 g to 2 kg, depending on the variety. The first tastes slightly sweeter than cabbage stalk. Rutabaga, on the other hand, is a cross between turnip and cabbage, and when cooked it looks like a potato.

Difference in chemical composition

What is the difference between rutabaga and turnip? Vegetables are similar in composition, but the former is more nutritious.

100 g of swede contains:

• calories - 37;
• proteins - 1.2 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 7.7 g;
• dietary fiber - 2.2 g;
• water - 88 g.

Rutabaga has more than turnips:

• gland;
• vitamin C.

Also, the vegetable contains more vitamin B2, there is vitamin P and niacin.

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100 g of turnips contains:

• calories - 32;
• proteins - 1.5 g;
• fats - 0.1 g;
• carbohydrates - 6.2 g;
• dietary fiber - 1.9 g;
• water - 90 g.

The turnips have:

• succinic acid;
• glucoraphanin, which, when chewed, converts to sulforaphane, a natural antibiotic and powerful anti-cancer organic compound.

Both vegetables replenish vitamin deficiencies, especially in winter and early spring, and serve as an excellent diuretic, anti-inflammatory, laxative. The juice of these vegetables is a natural antiseptic, so it is effective for sore throat.

Turnip stimulates heart activity and increases gastric acid secretion, useful in diabetes mellitus (its glycemic index is 15 units), lowers blood sugar levels. Rutabaga, on the contrary, with such a disease is better to exclude because of its high glycemic index of 70 units. The vegetable is used as an anti-burn agent and is included in medical nutrition for atherosclerosis.

Attention! Both vegetables can harm the body in acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract due to the high amount of fiber, which irritates the mucous membrane.

If there are no stomach problems, vegetables are good for constipation.

Rutabaga is used in boiled, fried and stewed forms in stews, pies, garnish for meat. Turnips are baked, boiled, stuffed, used in casseroles, stews and fresh salads.

What's better

Rutabaga is more caloric and nutritious, contains more vitamins, iron and phosphorus... Turnip is rich in calcium, magnesium and sodium. Vegetables have slight differences in taste, so personal preference should be guided when buying.

If you have your own garden, you can harvest a double crop of turnips... The first time it is sown in early May, the second - in early July. Second crop turnips are used for winter storage. Rutabaga is a later ripening culture: from sowing to ripening, it takes 3 to 4 months.

Are rutabaga and turnip the same thing?

Turnip is a subspecies of the Turnip species, which was originally raised to feed livestock. Later, varieties were bred for human consumption. Now there are various types of turnips with a pleasant taste: Purple turnip, Golden ball, Snowflake, Japanese turnip, Orange jelly.

There is not much difference in composition between rutabaga and turnip, but the latter is distinguished by a large amount of vitamin K, which has a positive effect on blood vessels and blood clotting.

Outwardly, the vegetable has practically no differences from ordinary rutabagas. Its advantages include excellent adaptability to climate change and high yield. For the summer table, turnips are planted in early spring, for winter storage - in the first half of July. Diet salads, soups and sauces are prepared from the fruit.

Conclusion

Rutabaga and turnip are members of the same Cabbage family. At the same time, there are slight differences in their chemical composition (rutabagas are more nutritious), taste, use and cultivation (turnips are planted 2 times per summer). Turnip as one of the subspecies of turnip is added to salads raw.

It is important to remember that for all their usefulness, these vegetables are excluded from the diet in case of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases. It is beneficial for diabetics to eat turnips to regulate blood sugar, and turnips are best avoided due to their high glycemic index.