Parsnip

I've recently been trying out different root vegetables. Judy had some parsnips she was using as part of an oxtail soup she was making. 

I'm sure I've had parsnips before, but I don't have any specific reckonings of it. They are related to the carrot and look quite a bit like carrots, although I've never put that together before. 

Before the potato arrived from the New World, parsnips, turnips and carrots occupied their place. Parsnips were cultivated by the Greeks and they were probably introduced by the Romans into Britain. They are often boiled and added to soups and stews or even mashed like potatoes. 

Judy's oxtail soup used them in place of potatoes and I could hardly tell the difference. 

I ate some raw and they were okay, although they are not usually eaten raw. They are apparently sweeter than carrots when cooked, although I did not detect that. They are one of the 1001 Foods You Must Taste Before You Die. As far as my personal use, they are okay. Nothing I would really look forward to using, but certainly nothing I would want to leave out. They would be a fine addition to a soup or stew and probably add some fun to potatoes.