The Garden Vegetable Identification Quiz

Olivia Cantor

As Penelope Cruz' character said in "Woman on Top," "Make sure your ___ are full and plump!" What’s this veggie?

Tomato lovers would know that there are so many varieties of tomatoes all over the world, starting from the very small-sized to the larger ones. The really small and cute ones usually tossed in a salad are called cherry tomatoes while the large ones you see included inside sandwiches are called the heirloom kind.

What’s this great veggie for your eyes?

Carrots are generally orange in color, as we have always seen in kitchens, cuisines, the media, and pop culture shows. But there are actually some varieties of carrots that defy this color scheme, like the purple, white, and yellow kind, all with good nutritional value like the orange one.

Either you hate this or you love this. What is it called?

In many parts of the world, the flower head part of the broccoli is the one that’s always consumed. But in other parts of the world, even the green leaves that come with the flowery head are also consumed and cooked just like any other leafy green veggies.

They’re called “ears” sometimes. What’s this one?

Corn is one of the most viable crops in the whole world, simply because it transforms into other forms that get mixed in various culinary products, such as corn syrup. But we all know and love its original form from the cob, where we can eat it with gusto, alone or as a side treat to major meaty meals.

The iceberg type is harvested by "heads." What is this?

There's a variety of lettuce that doesn't form into "heads" and is referred to as leaf lettuce, that's why there are different varieties you see in the market. There's also the romaine kind, as well as the butterhead variety which, unlike the iceberg kind, features looser leaves.

This predominantly purple veggie comes in an elongated or rounded shape, depending on the variety. What is it?

Eggplants are generally elongated in size and purple in color, but different varieties exist, also depending on which part of the globe they are cultivated. For example, you can see the Thai eggplant as a tomato-sized green veggie while there is also a variety called the green apple that, coincidentally, really looks like an apple from the outside. The Indian eggplant is rounded as well, but purple, while the Italian heirloom kind has mixed streaks of purple and white along its oval shape.

They make you tear up when you slice ‘em! What is this?

An onion releases a chemical that irritates the eyes; that's why it makes us cry when we slice and dice 'em. The best tip to stop this is to slice it while it's submerged in water, like in a deep bowl, so that the gas-like chemical won't get released in the air and gets trapped in the water.

Either people like this pungent-smelling/tasting veggie or they don’t. What is it?

Garlic is some kind of magic ingredient that helps eliminate many human body illnesses. It has been proven as a great cure to relieve the common cold, as well as helps lower the levels of someone's blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

This is perhaps the most recognizable tuber in the world. What is it?

Potatoes are very versatile veggies since they can be converted into a variety of forms, such as mashed, hash browns, sliced like round chips, or cut as wedges or fries. They can also be baked in whole, with just a slice horizontally so heat can escape its inner flesh.

They come out from a pod. What is it?

Peas come in different numbers when inside a pod since there are varieties that contain only three, while there are some that contain at least seven or even 20. And yes, all peas in one pod tend to look alike and share characteristics, hence the idiomatic expression "peas in a pod" that describes similarities among individuals.

Their ding-dong shape says it all. What’s this one?

Generally speaking, the bigger the pepper, the less spicy it is. This is true for the huge bell peppers, whether they are of the green, yellow or red varieties.

People without baggage can eat this, freely. What's it called?

The rounded cabbage is the most common variety, apparently named cannonball cabbage due to the shape. The napa cabbage variety is the most common variety being made into kimchi in Korean cuisine.

They look like spears! What is it?

Due to how it looks like, the asparagus also earned the folk nickname "spear grass." Some people eat it washed and raw, but it's best to roast or grill, then put olive oil on it. Try wrapping some stalks with a strip of bacon and fry 'em!

Popeye likes to eat this. What is it?

The old Popeye cartoon character is right in encouraging viewers to eat spinach due to its health benefits. While it may not entirely make our muscles pop out like that, it's enough to give the body its much-needed vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamin, iron, zinc, calcium, and of course fiber.

You carve it for Halloween needs. What is it?

Halloween season in the USA means pumpkin carving, which pertains to turning the whole pumpkin into a lantern lit from the inside (scoop out the middle portions) or designing it outside with carved images. It's also great to turn into creamy soup, and roasting them also brings out some sweet flavors of the flesh.

It may have originated in Belgium! What is it?

Brussels sprouts actually look like tiny cabbages that could fit in the palm of the hand. That's because they also belong to the cabbage family, but they grow in stalks.

Healthy eating peeps like eating this veggie. What is it?

When cooked, kale can give you your much-needed fiber, water, vitamin C, and vitamin B. But newer studies say that it's not great to eat this raw, like what diet-conscious people do when they eat this in salad form.

Technically categorized as a summer squash, what is this elongated veggie?

Zucchinis are best mixed with light dishes, or grilled with other veggies to mix into a skewered barbecue style of serving. It can also be sliced into circles, much like cucumbers, and sprinkled with stuff like cheese or parmesan for baking.

You can't beat a good old kitchen fave like this taproot. What is it?

The beet is sometimes called red beet, garden beet, or table beet. It is hailed for its health benefits, such as its characteristic of being low in calories, aiding in digestion, lowering blood pressure, and a good source of vitamin C.

Beauty experts also endorse putting slices of these in your tired eyes. What is it?

Beauty experts advise people with puffy eyes or deep eye bags to slice some cucumber and put them on top of the closed eyelids. Many beauty products and other health products actually contain cucumber ingredients on them, supposedly to utilize its health benefits.

Despite its name, it won’t make you cough it out – hopefully. What is it?

For people encountering artichokes for the first time, it might be hard to imagine that this vegetable can actually be eaten, and people try to figure out how to! It's easy once they realize that the artichoke is basically a huge bud that hasn't opened yet as a flower, so just remove the hard petals until you get to the core of it.

They're crunchy to the bite! What is this?

Celery is hailed as a good vegetable because it is a source of dietary fiber. Its long stalks help in that department, as well as the leaves found at the end of the crunchy stalks.

One of the Spice Girls adopted this for her stage name! What is it?

Ginger is generally a vegetable because its raw form can be used for cooking, but some classify its dried or powdered form as an herb or spice, too. For those suffering from a sore throat, the powdered versions of ginger are recommended for drinking as a juice if it's too tedious to prepare the raw kind for this purpose.

What do you call these long thingies?

A leek is often mistaken as a younger version of an onion, but it's not. However, they are cousins, in a way, and they share many common characteristics and effects, as well as health benefits.

Oh shoot, what are these shoots called again?

Alfalfa sprouts are usually included in dishes promoted for healthy eating. They are a staple in many vegetarian dishes, often found in salads and even in sandwiches.

Another vegetable with a flowery head is this one. What’s it called?

The cauliflower is the "new rice" for some diet-conscious people, as this veggie is getting reinvented as a healthier alternative to rice. You can steam it, cut it into smaller pieces until it simulates the look of rice, then it can be eaten with meals as a rice substitute.

Looks like a beet, but it ain't it! What is this one?

For those with digestive problems, health experts recommend eating radish to help in one's metabolism. It's also high on many kinds of nutrients which help fortify our blood vessels, as it also contains antioxidants.

What do you call this root veg?

Turnips are really flexible to prepare, culinary-wise. One can eat it raw, julienned to be mixed into any veggie salad, diced for roasting in a veggie kebab, and even mashed like potatoes.

Another tuber, but sugary. What is it?

Sweet potatoes are becoming as versatile as their original potato family member. They can also be eaten in a mashed version, as fries, and even chips.

This is still part of the cabbage family. What is it?

Bok choy is also known as Chinese cabbage, but it's not rounded like the typical cannonball type. Plants Vs. Zombies reimagined this veggie as a boxer with those low-hanging leaves as fists.

This blonde-looking carrot-like produce is another veggie actually. What is it?

Unlike its cousin carrot, the parsnip could be a little sweeter and a tad bit nuttier to the taste. But they're also as flexible as carrots in a culinary way, since it can be prepared with many dishes, and even converted into chips or fries-like versions.

It looks like an avocado, but it's a veggie. What is it?

There are many varieties of squash, and butternut squash is the kind where the seeds are concentrated inside its round portion on its bottom part. It's also known as a butternut pumpkin in Australia and could be prepared just like a pumpkin, too.

It’s small, slimy, and finger-like in shape. What is it?

People either love okra, or they hate it, simply because its juice is kinda like sticky sap, and the white seeds are sometimes bitter to the taste. But some countries love this veggie, and it's usually included in many stews, or they're roasted then served as a side vegetable of major meals.

This is the latest queen ingredient of healthy eating. What is it?

In the last decade, quinoa has appeared on the common radar of the culinary world for its health benefits. Some substitute quinoa for rice, because it's purportedly healthier to consume, even if it's way more expensive than rice.

It’s a kind of legume probably named after a South American city. What is it?

Lima beans are sometimes called butter beans because they indeed have some sort of a buttery texture. Americans love eating this mixed with corn in a dish called succotash, which could also contain tomatoes, okra, and a variety of bell peppers.

This is a kind of fungus. What's it called?

Shiitake mushrooms are very common in the East Asian region, primarily because they grow there, meaning they are endemic to the region. But they are also known by other names, as defined by the wood where they are cultivated: golden oak mushroom, oakwood mushroom, or sawtooth oak mushroom, for example.

They came from mung beans. What are they?

Lovers of Vietnamese and Thai cuisine would be familiar with the raw bean sprouts served on their various dishes. The Japanese also include them in some ramen dishes, and Koreans use them when preparing certain food items like the bibimbap.

This is usually served as a soup. What is it?

If you read the Bible, there are many mentions there of lentil as consumed by the characters depicted in various stories, often in the form of soup. If you travel to South Asian countries, you will also encounter a lentil dish known as dal, which may look like a cross between a thick soup and sauce.

What is this tuber called?

A yam is actually a close relative of the sweet potato, and they share many characteristics, so their cooking preparations are rather similar. There's a purple yam variety though, which is termed "ube" in the Philippines, and it's popularly be used as a flavoring for different kinds of food such as cakes, ice cream, and most popularly, jams.

What is this tropical veggie called?

You can't roast this one on an open fire during yuletide season, because the water chestnut behaves differently as a vegetable. It's actually crispy and crunchy when you bite it, and its texture is like that of an apple's, so it's good to include in flavorful meat stew dishes.

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About This Quiz

There are many kinds of vegetables, and there are also different classifications out there. Are you familiar with the most common ones, grown and utilized in most parts of the world? Come take a look at this quiz, then!

Some vegetables are obviously picked from crawling vines or blossoming shrubs. There are also those that are cultivated closer to the ground, such as those that pop out as heads, or those that grow underneath the soil. There are also vegetables that offer their own leaves as the edible ones. Which ones are your favorites?

It's hard to pick a fave, of course, since there are many kinds of garden vegetables out there. But maybe it's also due largely to how one consumes it, or how one cooks it within specific dishes. And with so many cuisines around the world, different varieties of vegetables have already become fixtures in specific delicacies and dishes. Have you discovered new varieties lately?

Different kinds of garden vegetables also have their respective nutritional value, as well as some value-added health benefit that may have been recently discovered. So it's best to keep up-to-date about what's good and better for you in this food group.

Are you ready to see if you know these veggies? Pick and go, and harvest a great score!

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