Black Salsify

In short: Black salsify is a root vegetable with black skin and white, brittle flesh, grown in moist, loamy-sandy soil in a sunny spot. Fertilize the soil, but never with fresh manure. Scald peeled roots with boiling water to remove stickiness and keep them in water with lemon juice to stop browning.

Black salsify, also known as Spanish viper's grass, began to be cultivated sometime in the 16th century. It is a root vegetable whose root strikingly resembles parsley or carrot. However, it has a black color and white, brittle flesh.

It contains plenty of carbohydrates, proteins, fiber and water. As for vitamins, it includes vitamin A, B, C, E and K, as well as minerals such as phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium and calcium.

You can remove the stickiness of the root after peeling by scalding it with boiling water.

Black salsify is recommended for weight-loss diets due to its low calorie content, and is suitable for wounds, which it helps heal faster with its effects. It is also recommended for diabetics because it contains a relatively large amount of inulin. It also helps with severe inflammation of the pancreas and with rheumatism.

To prevent peeled root from browning, use water with lemon juice.

You can consume this vegetable both raw, for example in spreads or salads, as well as fried, gratinated or braised. Its leaf shoots also come in handy - they can be prepared similarly to spinach.

Black salsify is divided according to leaves into:

• Glastifolia - this type has elongated, lanceolate leaves
• Latifolia - has broad leaves with an elliptical shape
• Strictifolia - its leaves are linear