Cicerchia (Grass Pea)

History From the early Neolithic period, cicerchia originated in the Balkan Peninsula. The first domesticated crop in Europe is thought to have been this plant around 6000 BCE. A wide range of areas, including the Mediterranean region, southwestern and central Europe, as well as Iraq and Afghanistan, are now cultivated and naturalized with cicerchia. Economically, […]

Green Asparagus

History Historically, asparagus dates back to the first century. Ancient Greece and Rome had records of it growing. It is said that asparagus was used therapeutically by the Egyptians over 2,000 years ago. As with all vegetables, asparagus was first discovered in the wild. Wild asparagus has thinner shoots than a pencil and is much […]

Why Celery is a Superfood: Nutrition, History, and Cultivation

History It is thought that the French first used celery as a food around 1623. Celery was used only for flavoring for nearly a century because of its pungency. During the 17th and 18th centuries, wild types of celery were improved to produce stalks (petioles) that could be used in salads. Facts about Celery A […]

Purple top turnips

History There has been a long history of purple top turnips, also known as ‘Purple Top White Globe turnips’, dating back to ancient times. Turnips with purple tops were likely cultivated in Europe hundreds of years ago. The Purple Top White Globe turnip was introduced in the United States in the 19th century, and it […]

Hokkaido pumpkins

History In the late 1800s, Japan became the first country to cultivate the Hokkaido pumpkin. It has the name of the Hokkaido region, which is situated in Honshu, the main island of Japan. In Japan, Hokkaido pumpkin is a popular cuisine that is used in a wide range of recipes, such as soups, stews, and […]

Broccoli: Its Origins, Nutritional Power, and How to Grow It

History Broccoli originated in the Mediterranean region. An ancient Italian civilization called the Etruscans, who lived in what is now Tuscany and were considered to be brilliant horticulturists, developed this from a cabbage relative. By the 18th century, broccoli had become a common vegetable in northern Europe, and Italian immigrants brought it to North America […]

Leeks: A Versatile, Nutrient-Rich Crop with Surprising Benefits

History Leeks are thought to originate in Eurasia and North Africa. Possibly the Egyptians cultivated them first, painting their tombs with images of them because they liked them so much. During the ancient Roman and Greek eras, leeks were also popular. Leeks were considered a refined version of garlic and onions by the Romans. Leeks […]

Edamame (early soybeans)

History China has cultivated soybeans for millennia, where they are native. Although new evidence suggests that a number of domestications took place in East Asia (including Japan, Korea, and Northern China), some dating back 5,500 years.  Originally used for medicinal purposes, the edamame was first documented in China around 200 BCE, according to researchers at […]

Florentine zucchini

History A specific variety of zucchini called Florentine zucchini is popular in Italian cuisine, particularly in Tuscany.  This variety is not well documented, but it is believed to have originated in the Liguria region of Italy and later gained popularity in Tuscany. In Italian, “Lunga Fiorentino” means “Florentine long,” which suggests it was first popularized […]

How to Grow, Harvest, and Enjoy the Health Benefits of Raspberries

History It is thought that raspberries originated in Asia Minor. The people of Troy (Turkey) appear to have gathered raspberries wild in Asia Minor in the 1st Century BC, and Roman agriculturist Palladius recorded it as domesticated in the 4th Century AD. It was written by Pliny the Elder in 45 AD that the Greeks […]