SALSIFY! - An Ugly Root That Was Used To Make Mock Oyster Soup (18th century recipe)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 พ.ค. 2021
- SALSIFY! - An ugly root that is used to make Mock Oyster Soup (18th century recipe) - Amazing Plants
Binomial Name: Scorzonera hispanica
Grown in Washington, Filmed in NYC
Its been brought to my attention that I was accidentally given the wrong ID on this, this is Black Salsify a related species to the one I mention in the video.
Thanks to Wanderlustnursery.com for sending this to me. Plants available on their website!
www.wanderlustnursery.com
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![รวมเพลงลูกทุ่ง 6 หนุ่มไทบ้าน ฮิตติดกระแส ชุดที่ 1 l มนต์แคน ไมค์ ไผ่ เสถียร ไหมไทย พี [Longplay]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GD2v1OjMw5I/mqdefault.jpg)
How would you describe the flavor of an oyster?
Mild, savory/umami, maybe a little buttery. Only a little bit of that seaweedy/seafood taste usually.
Oystery
mild in flavor, about the sweetness of cucumber, briny and buttery in flavor with a slight metallic taste and a springy texture. I think that this might be a good substitute but I don’t think the texture would be right, and I don’t think it would be anything like a fresh raw oyster.
disgusting
If you’ve ever been near a salty mangrove just after it rains - you know the brackish smell that gets in the back of your nose? It’s a bit like that. Very salty, with a real mineral taste, a little bitter, and yeah, definitely umami underneath. Also, there’s a hint of something I won’t mention directly, but will hint at obliquely... yeah I can’t think of a nice way to say it, but it’s a flavour commonly associated with men...
The soundtrack is hilarious. Townsends would be proud.
XD exactly my thoughts
😂
That’s what I was thinking as well.
but there was no nutmeg T_T
Jas Townsends and Sons originally sirrah!
I often use oysters as mock salsify.
Hilarious😅!
My grandmother often talked about cooking oyster root, and she always emphasized that the roots should be harvested in the early spring (like parsnips) not in the fall.
Imagine trying to picture what an oyster tastes like without ever trying one! It’s impossible, but great video!
Tastes like chicken with an "oyster smell". I mean, anyone can smell cooking oyster.
I’ve never been able to try one but I wonder what they taste like there texture makes me gag immediately
@@implausibleimpossiblehypot4006 dunno what everyone is talking about, they have the consistency of uncooked eggs but taste like sea water. Usually a splash of lemon or Tabasco makes them more palatable
@@russlemiller6574 hmm I live in a island so the sea water part I got but I won’t try washing down a egg with some saltwater good to know
Vegetarian version of the chicken question.
I have salsify in the garden and eat oysters. The closest comparison is only the savory flavor. I dont get an oyster flavor from the stuff i grow.
Yeah it's weird to think of it as "mock oyster". Maybe indeed there's something to the preparation, because I always thought of it more like mock white asparagus. Then again I only had it jarred, so maybe that matters more than I think.
They're generally really unoffensive and popular with kids. The texture is similar to white asparagus, but it's a bit less fibery and definitely not as bitter.
I've eaten a lot of oysters in my life in a variety of ways and never once did they taste of cucumbers.
I have never thought that oysters taste like cucumbers.
@@rbtmdl taste like seawater and brine lol
😆😅😂
Since he's never eaten oysters before, we can't blame him for having a hard time finding flavours to compare.
@@weevil8025 Jared wasn't the one saying "cucumbers". He was quoting other people who said "cucumbers".
Waiting for Townsends to show up 😆
He would say: How could you forget the nutmeg?
Sprinkle some nutmeg and he'll teleport behind you.
Make a pentagram out of nutmeg and he appears
We really should diversify our diet with more veggies like this.
YOU GOT ME ALL EXCITED THAT JOHN WAS GONNA SHOW UP 😭😭😭😂😂😂
Rite,I was anticipating it a bit
Lol, the Townsends reference was funny
Don't call that breathtaking root ugly, it is very beautiful with its own unique characteristics and a fascinating origin.
Here in Germany these are called "Schwarzwurzeln" (black roots) and they are very common. You can buy them in cans in every supermarket, lot of people don't like cleaning and preparing them fresh
to be specific Schwarzwurzel is Black salsify which i think is different and Schwarzwurzel is super "sticky" and schuld be pealed with gloves
@@darkplasmo7921 You are correct, yet i am not sue if the root shown isn't indeed the "black salsify" the "salsify" roots google shows seem to be pretty pale?
I was about to comment the same. Where I'm from theyre known as a substitute for asparagus but they really have a quality of their own. I like them a lot... except the cleaning.
@@NoName736 I realized there is a difference now, still to me it seems that Wanderlust nursery actually sent him a "black salsify" because that root looks like a "Schwarzwurzel" to me?
@@NoName736 So i looked up the "Haferwurzel" which the intro claims to be the one featured. However the root shown doesnt look at all like a "Tragopogon porrifolius" but an awful lot like "Scorzonera hispanica" known as black salsify. I'm really curious whats going on... =)
I love how you gave this a touch of a feel similar to Townsends or Tasting History channels while staying true to your own unique style!
He was being funny. I dont think that's his style
aw hell na i thought you rolled a big ass backwoods sir
I SWEAR!!! I was like wtf 😳😄.
OH GOD IT WASn'T JUsT MEE 😂
lol he shoulda did this review 2 weeks ago
Lmao
Good, it wasn't just me
That plating was great, it looks like a high end plate of scallops!
Also; the Townsend's reference was perfect 🤣
from the title "salsify" i thought you were doing another series seeing how many things you can make salsa out of
This would be a good series tbh
same
I wanna watch that!
I lost it at the Townsends reference. Good job.
Sometimes you just get possessed by that guy... I need a colonial era exorcist.
@@WeirdExplorer Perhaps you can ouija up Cotton Mather.
Weird Explorer god this would be an amazing skit
the joy i felt at the walrus and the carpenter ref
I was going to put a photo of an actual oyster, but this seemed much nicer.
Me too. That was my favorite part of the Disney adaptation of Carrol's stories. Sometimes I up just that bit on TH-cam if I want to spark some joy in myself.
No nutmeg? What a shame😁
aw some one beat me to this comment
Same
I need to see him on a nutmeg trip
@@michaelsnodgrass2375 I hate when that happens!
Beside the reference, salsify does benefit from added nutmeg :D
Actually in France, salsify is quite commonly eaten (and hated) by schoolchildren in cafeterias. It is usually served with bechamel in gratins.
I've never heard about the oyster stuff though.
That sounds yummy!
I don't remember eating it with béchamel but I like it pan-fried with some butter. Not a bad memory from school for me
I was wondering if it was a french thing or if I was the only french child to have eaten it
yeah because the only ones served in school are canned salsify that taste bland and can't be cooked nicely , i hated salsify at school until my mom made some fresh ones with bechamel and now i realy enjoy them ! I even grow them in my garden :)
Aha, a man of taste! Loved the Townsends reference, they are another channel I binge watch alongside yours
It would be really hard to explain what an oyster tastes like to someone who never ate an oyster. They have a "sea" taste, but they are not at all fishy. Some also have a mild nutty flavor vaguely reminiscent of almonds.
a vague idea of what sea taste is. salty salty salty salty maybe a hint of water if thats even a thing and then a flavor nobody can describe as anything other then fish because its legit to unique and yes i am bs'ing this ive never eaten fresh fish before or any seafood.
I've heard it described as an "iodine" flavour.
Fresh seawater, some iodine, a savory, mildly nutty taste are all good descriptors imo
@@Dewkeeper also depends on the area they come from.
Some are more briny, others a bit sweeter.
I can see how some might describe the underlying flavor as a low flavor melon, like a cucumber, mainly cause there aren't strong flavor notes.. but something seems wrong about it. Probably why oysters are often topped with other flavors or sauces.. I prefer raw or baked.
@@Unsensitive yeah if I'm eating an oyster, gotta have hot sauce, cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon
I love Salsify. The oyster flavor comparison comes from the zinc -y minerality taste they share. I had my favorite preparation at a tiny, wonderful Austrian vegan restaurant run by a French chef - a beautiful whole candied root presented atop a forest of carefully arranged produce, as part of a spectacular prix fixe. Outstanding!
Channeling your inner townsends I see...😁
Lightly pan fry some mushrooms like oyster mushrooms or shiitake's and a little bit of onion chive or shallot in some butter and pepper and then add it to your cream sauce with the salsify and you will then really appreciate the levels of savory that come out it brings a little savory from the mushroom but it also brings out that different sort of mock oyster savory from the root.
I'm excited for WeirdExplorer to expand into unique vegetables!
Salsify sounds like the Harry Potter magical spell that turns things into salsa lol
It looks and behaves exacly like Scorzonera hispanica. I was told to scrape scorzonera under flowing water and put it to water with lemon juice. It's also weirdly sticky when scraped.
They’re pretty close relatives, both in the sunflower family. Scorzonera is sometimes called “black salsify” and what he has here is purple salsify.
It is because it IS Scorzonera hispanica, the black salsify. White salsify is Tragopogon porrifolius.
The species he uses appears to be S. hispanica, T. porrifolius looks like a parsnip.
I like them. Ate them pretty often, but nowadays not so often anymore. I guess it's time to cook some again. Thanks for the reminder.
They're called "Schwarzwurzel" in german, which just means "black root".
Watching your stuff opens my mind to new fruits and vegetables for new flavor and dishes that I would love to make.
I need to say this. I've been watching your videos for a very long time now and you are probably the only TH-camr who I enjoy more with time. Thank you, Jared. You are a gem
I want a video of you with john townsend with weird vedgies used in the 18th century’s
Hahahaha I laughed so hard when the music started playing lol I hope you had a good time savoring the flavor of the 18th century! Now I gotta go tell sauce stache about this.
Definitely need to get more and do a Townsends collab.
An ancestor kept a daily journal/diary in the late1800s until 1920. She journaled each evening before bed. They often ate salsify as a part of the mid day or nightly meals. I never looked it up and had incorrectly assumed that it was a type of greens. She lived on beautiful farm in rural Southern Virgina. They grew their own vegetables, raised their own beef, pork and chickens. Her journals are a really interesting read! Thank you for making me aware of what salsify actually is!
You should get in touch with the Townsends channel because they publish books as well. It would be great to share your ancestor's journal or diary with people who would really care about it.
My grandparents were born in the 1890s. My favorite story from my grandmother was how she used to butter her littlest sister's braids every morning to make them shine. Imagine the smell by the time Saturday's weekly bath rolled around! But they made the butter themselves, so at least it was fresh. =D
@@dlbstl Julia didn't record the recipes, she just listed what was cooked for dinner. What I find so odd about the journal entries is the lack of detail about events I thought would've been big life changing events. Like when they got a telephone she barely mentioned it. When her son got their very first car, "Ben has a machine" barely any thing recorded when they got electricity, but she'd go into detail about what she was sewing. Lol. I will send info about the journals as you've suggested.
great vid, crazy to see you still going strong
They can also have yellow flowers, like in my home state of Washington.
Yes, I've cooked and eaten these after collecting them from the wild. I also boiled mine.
One of my favorite wild vegetables!
Different species, same genus, same uses. "Goat's beard?"
I love the Townsend reference!
Townsends has been my favorite channel for a while now, and this one has been creeping up into my favorites quite quickly. This gave me all the benefits of watching both with no downsides.
Glad you like it! I planted some but have never tried it. Now I'm excited!
I'll be honest, when I saw the thumbnail I thought: "wow, that's one huge blunt"
Salsify is a pretty traditional German vegetable and I seen them long time before far more often than today. Never heard that people said, that it taste like oysters however it is true, that it is often served with fish…
i think people probably flavoured them with a fishy stock to get some taste
@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 …not really in Germany…
I don't like videos very often, but when the music started playing I slammed that button.
How is this channel not at 1M yet? Easily the most entertaining channel on TH-cam
such a delicious vegetable, they are somewhat common in France (much less nowadays), school cafeterias still serve them sometimes.
Bonjour cher compatriote 🇨🇵🇨🇵🇨🇵
french people have a fine taste for a broad range of plantsand animals english people nolonger eat.
@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 the English used to be shocked when they saw French chefs they admired so much cooking with onions. In British society, onions were seen as pungent weeds that only the truly poor and desperate ate, similar to I guess we see dandelions or common wild herbs today.
@@seronymus yeah all he english wanted was roast beef.. Hence their nickname is much of europe
Saucetache and Townsends have to see this one.
See Saucestache make a vegan pizzle that tastes just like real pizzle.
@@jonathandill3557 I love Saucetache channel cuz he is the kind of vegan that doesn't make me feel like a monster for not being vegan
Max miller ( tasting history) is another person who makes interesting historical dishes :P
You’ve inspired me to try the ones growing at my place. I’ve had them here for a few years now and they’re spreading around on their own just fine. I’ve been hesitant to try the root though. It sounds great now after watching your video. Thanks!
Love The Townsends reference. Great video! Salsify grows wild where we live in Missouri. I’m going to harvest some and give it a try now. You’d think, as a forager, I would have known about it’s edibility. 🤷♀️
"Who am I?" Good question.
I'm watching your clip from Oddities atm
I remember watching this clip years ago on TV and just now realized it was you who put the nail in his nose!
LOL, this is exciting...
I'm in the second season too where I stick my hand in an animal trap. good times
I raised Salsify from seed several years ago, and now I have a lot of these plants as permanent residents in my garden (very easy from seed, very hardy, disease & pest-free here in Britain).
When I prepare them in the kitchen, I peel them under water in a washing-up bowl to stop discoloration. I usually roast mine along with parsnips, potatoes and carrots. You can definitely 'pick out' the taste from among the other vegetables.
To my way of thinking, it tastes most like a water chestnut and I have used them as an alternative in stir fries (since fresh water chestnuts are non-existent where I live and canned ones are expensive).
I wouldn't be without this veggie in my garden and it's a good option for permaculturists.
I love that so many know of Townsends ❤️ wonderful channel! As is yours, sir!
Never knew you were a vegetarian, respect that though
I’ve never really picked up on any flavor for oysters, it’s mostly been a texture thing for me
love this video! such an odd root
love the transistion lol - interesting video!
Shout out to the Townsend's ! I watch that one too!
I thought it was a blunt 🤣🤣🤣
I love how his videos have lowkey comedy. I can't stop watching his videos 😭💖
Dude ! You've absolutely blown my mind with this episode !
Who would have thought this root would taste like that? 🤓
Funny, salsify is fairly common in France; I've never noticed it had "oyster" flavor although I've eaten a fair amount of it in my life :o
Le goût d'"huître" du salsifis est lié apparemment au fait qu'ils partagent tous deux un goût minéral et salé.
Hey, that was some good music!
I grew this after watching the video and yes wierd is the best way to describe it.
I have these guys also in my garden, and plan to put them into the smoker this year after harvesting, should taste absolutely fantastic.
Cool! I wasn’t raised vegetarian but i was a picky kid and never tried most seafood before i became a vegetarian because everything looked like gross slime lol
Someone tell us if this really tastes like oysters!! Could be cool for people that have plant-based diets but actually miss oysters.
Ngl I love fish but for a lot of stuff your bang on about it looking gross and slimy xD
Honestly even a lot of aquatic plants are really slimy 😂
Just try one once.
Ecstacy too
Second! Please do the tasty Skirret root next!
Goodness I love this channel
Aww man, i'm missing Townsends food episodes lately (they seem to be doing less of them), but this actually unironically helped scratched that itch!
Sir that root aint ugly its tasty!
Ummm... that is not the salsify that is supposed to taste like oysters. This is black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica). It is common here in europe (a lot more common than real salsify) but not associated with an oyster-like aroma. Its taste is a bit like asparagus mixed with kohlrabi (a cabbage variety that misses any sulfurish taste and looks like turnip).
ah ha... might have been some confusion with wanderlust. I'll check into this. thanks
@@WeirdExplorer No problem! but even if there is a confusion and this is black salsify, it is still a very uncommon/weird plant!
Btw I wonder how your fingers are still clean. Usually, the root has a sticky sap that turns black and is extremely difficult to wash off😅.
Tip: here in europe, it is common practice to peel it underwater in a bowl or under running water so that it stays white. Most people I know use a vegetable peeler. Online, they sometimes say to do it the way you did it. The logic is that the salsify is quite thin and when you use a peeler, it gets even thinner. But doing this technique underwater is ... dangerous ... to say the least.
I had automatically assumed it is "black salsify" initially by the looks and was then corrected that "salsify" is another plant, at least i'm not the only one who had that impression by this root
thanks so much for doing this video, these grow in my yard year around, ive found they taste best before theyve flowered
I was literally complaining like an hour ago because my youtube autoplay kept taking me to Townsend's after every Weird Explorer video!
i thought the root was a giant backwood 🙈😂
For those who don't know, that's a brand of cigar, very dark and irregular.
@@notmyworld44 aka blunt wraps that are filled with throw-away tobacco
@@notmyworld44 Thank you for clarifying. I was imagining it meant something else.
My guess is that the root when cut looks like oysters, and if you picked op some sweetness and msg, maybe that’s what they mean by oyster-like.
The good thing about oysters is the chewy-fishy taste, I’m not sure that’s there...
I absolutely love when youtubers crossover. It feels like all my niche interests intertwine
Your videos bring me inner peace to watch
Are you sure that's Salsify (Tragopogon porrifolius)? The root you show looks more like Black Salsify (Scorzonera hispanica). Of course, from what I've read they're supposed to taste similar.
You are correct. They sent him Black Salsify, which by the way grows well in the hot Florida climate, whereas Tragopogon fails no matter how much you pamper it.
Oh, and, Black Salsify matters!
I have eaten both, and can confirm that the flavor is much the same. I prefer white salsify, because the skin is smoother and more tender, like carrots and parsnips, so it doesn't need to be peeled/scraped.
Townsends shout out was super awesome!
Edit: I wish I could describe the taste of an oyster, but even from oyster to oyster the flavor profile is different.
The msg, umami unique flavour is probably the oyster part of it. The fish on those recipes was probably for the aroma and not so much to impart taste, as the taste of oyster is quite mild. The texture when raw 🤢. Is a hard pass for me when raw.
Yeah, I live on a coastline and different bays sometimes have different tasting oysters.
I love 'em raw though, I just stop on my drive to the shops and eat half a dozen straight off the rocks whenever I have a time and the tide allows.
Oh I love this, we used to get it stewed in milk sauce when I was little, it was called mock asparagus. Many recipes we had for mock asparagus that used salsify.
The seed heads are really cool too. This grows all over Oregon in the areas that have poorer soils and dry.
"A lot of these recipes call for fish..." D'oh! Talk about missing the plot, Jarrod. Of course, a "water-chestnut-like thing" is going to pick up the fish flavor and taste more like an oyster with that texture! This calls for an amendment. Do over. Add some seaweed (since you're a vegan).
isnt he only vegetarian?
@@luizo1685 yes
Seaweed is the vegetable that tastes most like seafood out of all the vegetables.
Will it french-fry series?
It would make one really long fry
@@WeirdExplorer I figured anything remotely potato/starchy you could cut into sticks and deep fry. For science. To use with your ketchup.
@@angst_ that would go great with the ketchup series. The best fry with the best ketchup.
@@shannabolser9428 Anything would be better than day-old warmed-up mcdonalds fries!
wow love it 🤩🤩🤩🤩
I'm growing a different variety (black scorzonera) this year, so I'm exicted to try them myself in the autumn
When peeled and cooked I'd say they look more like scallops than oysters
Salsify is not THAT uncommon here in Germany. We call it Schwarzwurzel (Black Root). Salsify sound like some kind of Harry Potter spell, especially with the exclamation mark behind it. 😅
I believe that is actually spanish salsify, which is a different plant
While it is in the same family, that is _not_ the same plant. What Jared has here is usually called Haferwurzel or Purpur-Bocksbart. Schwarzwurzel, or black/Spanish salsify is Scorzonera hispanica.
That’s how my dad used to cook oysters, brought back some memories.
I got a pack of seeds for these and they are growing great. I'm excited to experiment with them.
As a chef, I can tell the one shown here is a Black salsify (different genus, Scorzonera Hispanica).
The black one has a cilindrical black root (as in the video) and a yellow flower, while the white one (Tragopogon porrifolius) has more of a tapered, like a carrot, filamentous root and a purple flower. The first one is very common in Germany, known as Schwarzwurzel ( black root), while the second one, Haferwurzel ( oat root?), is rarer.
I've only ever tried Black salsify(Scorzonera), but White Salsify (Tragopogon) is supposed to have very similar characteristics with a bit stronger taste, but I doubt it tastes anything like oysters (just as oyster mushroom and oyster leaves, what's wrong with people).
Since it was sent you by a nursery, ask them for confirmation.
Speaking of Black salsify, it's usually cooked with with butter and/or cream, and often used as a white asparagus substitute (different taste than green asparagus, very expensive and prized here). They are a pain to prepare because of the latex which sticks to your hands and tools and quickly turns pinkish brown (the trick is to bathe them in plenty milk while preparing, not water).
Because of this many prefer to buy it frozen or canned.
I love your videos
This guy deserves more subs
Love the reference in the start of the video.
Hahahah loved the nod to Townsends. ❤
Man I'm really happy that you find all these amazing veggies and fruits and nuts and seeds. I try finding and buying them off amazon but sadly sometimes they don't have everything on there that you share on these videos.
The calabash bowl always gets me
I totally want to grow this and try out that recipe... I hope ill still feel like this after its grown...
I love the Townsends vibe you gave
Super cool channel man. I've seen things on here I never thought I would lol National Geographic should hire you for a show! Cheers from Canada!
I am grateful for salsify because I finally have a word that rhymes with Falsify.
I was served Mertensia maritima, AKA oyster leaf, once at a restaurant nearby. The flavour was very briny and like the sea, and very much like oysters. It was served raw with a piece of cornbread. I quite enjoyed it.