Beet aroma comes largely from an earthysmelling molecule called geosmin, which was long thought to originate with soil microbes, but now appears also to be produced by the beet root itself The sugariness of beets is sometimes put to use in chocolate cakes, syrups, and other sweets Celery Root Celery root or celeriac is the swollen lower portion of the main stem of a special variety of celery, Apium graveolens var rapaceum Roots project from a knobbly surface that requires deep peeling Celeriac tastes much like celery thanks to the same oxygen-ring aromatics, and contains a moderate amount of starch (5–6% by weight) It’s usually cooked like other root vegetables, but also finely shredded to make a crunchy raw salad The Cabbage Family: Turnip, Radish The turnip, Brassica rapa, has been under cultivation for about 4,000 years in Eurasia as a staple, fast-growing food It consists of both lower stem and taproot, can have a number of different shapes and colors, and has the sulfury aroma typical of the family (p 321) Small, mild varieties may be eaten raw and crunchy like radishes, larger ones cooked until soft: but not too long, or the overcooked cabbage flavor dominates and the texture becomes mushy Turnips are also pickled The crisp, sometimes pungent radish is a different species, Raphanus sativus, a native of western Asia, and had reached the Mediterranean by the time of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks Like the turnip it’s mainly a swollen lower stem, and has been shaped by human selection into many distinctive forms and striking colors (for example, green at the surface and red inside) Most familiar in the United States are small, ... different shapes and colors, and has the sulfury aroma typical of the family (p 321) Small, mild varieties may be eaten raw and crunchy like radishes, larger ones cooked until soft: but not too long, or the overcooked... Mediterranean by the time of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks Like the turnip it’s mainly a swollen lower stem, and has been shaped by human selection into many distinctive forms and striking colors (for.. .The turnip, Brassica rapa, has been under cultivation for about 4,000 years in Eurasia as a staple, fast-growing food It consists of both lower stem and taproot, can have a number of different shapes and colors, and has the