Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Abstract

Vegetables are defined as the fresh parts of plants which, either raw, cooked, canned or processed in some other way, provide suitable human nutrition. Fruits of perennial trees are not considered to be vegetables. Ripe seeds are also excluded (peas, beans, cereal grains, etc.). From a botanical point of view, vegetables can be divided into algae (seaweed), mushrooms, root vegetables (carrots), tubers (potatoes, yams), bulbs and stem or stalk (kohlrabi, parsley), leafy (spinach), inflorescence (broccoli), seed (green peas) and fruit (tomato) vegetables. The most important vegetables, with data relating to their botanical classification and use, are presented in Table 17.1. Information about vegetable production follows in Tables 17.2 and 17.3.