My grandmother liked parsnips. They look like yellowish carrots, if I remember right. I didn't like 'em. I do like rutabagas, though, especially in Irish stew!

This makes me think: there's an old expression to the effect that something "butters your parsnips." Hmmm.

I need to watch more English mysteries. It's something how often they do each other in, isn't it?

The parsnips I get are almost white, but they are shaped like carrots. My mom used to slice them lengthwise and fry them in the fat left in the pan lamb chops had been fried in. Parsnips are bitter when raw, but turn sweet when cooked. I didn't much like them when I was a kid, but I now remember the flavor fondly. I still don't like lamb very much, though (which is just as well considering how expensive it is these days,) and fried in lamb fat is the only way I know of to cook parsnips.

I don't think I've ever had a rutabaga. I might like them as they are related to turnips and I do like turnips. I sometimes used to eat raw turnips as snacks when I was young.

Fried in lamb fat! Anything would be good cooked like that! I'm amazed by the thought of eating raw turnips, though. Guess they were crunchy like jicama or similar?

Much denser than jicama, but a bit softer than carrots, which I also used to snack on. Raw turnip has just a bit of heat, and some sweetness. It's sort of like a mild radish, though usually not as crunchy. It also has a bit of cabbage flavor. Turnips and cabbage are not too closely related, but they do share a common ancestor.

Interesting. I'll buy a turnip sometime at Fred Meyer and try it!