defensive chemical Peeling the thin outer layer removes most of the bitterness as well as phenolic compounds that cause brown discoloration The sweetness is most noticeable when the roots are cooked, which weakens the strong cell walls and frees the sugars to be tasted The carrot core carries water from the root to the leaves and has less flavor than the outer storage layers Pre-peeled “baby” carrots, actually cut from mature ones, often have a harmless white fuzz on their surface due to damaged outer cell layers that dehydrate within hours of processing Parsnip Pastinaca sativa, along with its aromatic taproot, is native to Eurasia, was known to the Greeks and Romans, and like the turnip was an important staple food before the introduction of the potato The version known to us today was developed in the Middle Ages The parsnip accumulates more starch than the carrot, but converts it to sugars when exposed to cold temperatures; so winter roots are sweeter than autumn roots, and before sugar became cheap were used to make cakes and jams in Britain Its pale, somewhat dry tissue softens faster during cooking than either the potato’s or carrot’s Parsley Root Parsley root is the taproot of a particular variety of parsley, Petroselinum crispum var tuberosum, is also flavored by a mixture of terpenoids, and is more complex and pungent than parsley leaves Parsley is a Eurasian native (p 408) Arracacha Arracacha is the root of a South American member of the carrot family, Arracacia xanthorhiza It has smooth roots of various colors, and a rich flavor that the eminent plant explorer David Fairchild called much superior to carrots The Lettuce Family: Sunchoke, Salsify, Scorzonera, ... by a mixture of terpenoids, and is more complex and pungent than parsley leaves Parsley is a Eurasian native (p 408) Arracacha Arracacha is the root of a South American member of the carrot family,... Its pale, somewhat dry tissue softens faster during cooking than either the potato’s or carrot’s Parsley Root Parsley root is the taproot of a particular variety of parsley, Petroselinum crispum... It has smooth roots of various colors, and a rich flavor that the eminent plant explorer David Fairchild called much superior to carrots The Lettuce Family: Sunchoke, Salsify, Scorzonera,