Fear of kohlrabi

What do you do when you face an alien looking vegetable? It’s all over the farmer’s market, it’s cheap and plentiful and you’ve never had it before.

Most people walk right on by. What’s the cost of being wrong, though?

The economic cost is tiny. Make a mistake with a kohlrabi and you’re out about a dollar–less than it cost you to drive to work.

But the emotional cost, depending on how you’ve trained yourself, could be high indeed.

What will my family think of me if they don’t like it?

How will I deal with my ignorance of what to do with it? Is it too painful/risky/time-consuming to learn?

What if I do it wrong? Will it make me feel stupid?

What will eating an unfamiliar food remind me of?

The kohlrabi metaphor runs deep. It’s about our perception of new experiences, and how we deal with, “this might not work.”

Most of all, kohlrabi is a choice.