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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.

16 Comments:

Could it be hearts of palm? I used to eat them in Brazil.

I think of baby-corns with that description, but I doubt it.

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 - Soon enough, Google will make it possible.

wow those do not look good.

Yes, thank you so much!! They were indeed crosnes.

So, what do these taste like?

Rack up yet another thing I have learned from the SE blog! I have never come across these anywhere.

@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.

they're in season right around now, you should be able to find them at good farmers markets.

They look like grubs. But I'm intrigued...especially if they taste a bit like artichokes. Do they come pickled?

@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!

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.

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.

Great googly-moogly! They do look like maggots!

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