Help Me Identify a Mystery Vegetable!
Er, at least I think it's a vegetable. I used to work at a restaurant where we served these once in a salad, and nobody ever knew what they were. Only a few years later, but I cannot for the life of me remember the name.
Okay, so last night at a wine bar, the cheese and meat plate had some pickled vegetables—baby carrots, pearl onions, and these things... about an inch long, white in color, with a bumpy exterior. Basically, they look like mini Michelin men. Or maggots. They're crunchy like water chestnuts. Help me remember what these are! It's driving me crazy.
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16 Comments:
Could it be hearts of palm? I used to eat them in Brazil.
bareneed at 1:59PM on 01/20/09
I think of baby-corns with that description, but I doubt it.
hungrychristel at 2:04PM on 01/20/09
crosnes
simon at 2:20PM on 01/20/09
Thank you simon, i was going crazy trying to remember the name of those (how can you google a word you can't remember?).
renzata at 2:27PM on 01/20/09
@renzata - Soon enough, Google will make it possible.
producestories at 2:43PM on 01/20/09
wow those do not look good.
sarag22 at 3:31PM on 01/20/09
Yes, thank you so much!! They were indeed crosnes.
sporkster at 3:34PM on 01/20/09
So, what do these taste like?
Junie at 4:16PM on 01/20/09
Rack up yet another thing I have learned from the SE blog! I have never come across these anywhere.
bareneed at 4:38PM on 01/20/09
@Junie I looked them up and it was described as a nutty artichoke flavor.
@bareneed ditto!!
Crosnes goes on my "list" --the one that wanders freestyle in my head. I am wondering if they are a regional thing as I have never seen them. This will bug the hell out of me until I try them.
finsbigfan at 4:57PM on 01/20/09
they're in season right around now, you should be able to find them at good farmers markets.
simon at 6:08PM on 01/20/09
They look like grubs. But I'm intrigued...especially if they taste a bit like artichokes. Do they come pickled?
juliebugsmama at 3:15PM on 01/21/09
@julie--the little 'Calvin' inside me thought the same thing. "Ewww, they look like maggots.'
The mature foodie in me is intrigued, though, @sporkster, and thinks the wine bar you went to is very brave and progressive to serve them!
HeartofGlass at 6:06PM on 01/21/09
i had this recently at jojo's and i couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was and decided to assume water chestnuts that were 'molded' into funny fall/holiday shapes. i'm so glad this thread was posted.
arathi at 6:16PM on 01/21/09
Oh wow, I've had these and never knew what they were called in English. They're a type of pickle I grew up eating with jook. They're really common in Beijing as a breakfast condiment.
Aynsl156 at 9:51PM on 01/21/09
Great googly-moogly! They do look like maggots!
buffy at 10:40PM on 01/21/09