Until one of my friends brought one home from MarketShares, parsnips were a complete mystery to me. I could have told you they were vegetables, but beyond that they could have been, purple, square, tiny, lump – I had no clue. So when she pulled out of her bag a big, almost cylindrical orange blob, I had to try it. I tried it raw and found that it tastes extremely carrot-like. The parsnip is actually a lot like a giant carrot. I decided to follow a recipe I found that looked delicious for parsnip chips.
I sliced and boiled the parsnip, rubbed them in melted butter and flour and then fried them in vegetable oil. After the frying, I seasoned them with salt, pepper, and chili powder. The result was a plate full of great tasting parsnip chips. Of course, pretty much anything fried is good, but the parsnip’s earthy taste still came through and worked well with the other flavors. I heard people doing the local eating project complain about how parsnips are the only vegetables left at this time of year. While I wouldn’t want to live on parsnips, I got a good deal of satisfaction out of mine.
Considering parsnip store well and can therefore be available all year, I am surprised I have not come across them before. Apparently they are good sources of fiber, folic acid, and various vitamins, and they are low in calories1, so why don’t people eat more of them. The taste could be a possible explanation, but people eat tons of carrots. Parsnips taste extremely similar and are much bigger. Something has drastically hurt parsnips’ reputation. 
I was able to dig up some historical explanations: parsnips’ affordability established their place as “crops for the poor2.” They also have the reputation in Ireland of being pig food – not good enough for humans2. Another factor that may have hurt its reputation is its unfortunate similarity in appearance to the poisonous water hemlock3.
Whatever the reason, I think it’s time we reject these unfair prejudices and repair the parsnip’s reputation, so that everyone can enjoy parsnip chips or any of the other countless parsnip recipes out there. For my part, I will try to inform those who – like I had – have no idea what a parsnip even is.
2. http://www.parsniprecipes.co.uk/parsnips-why-they-are-unpopular/3. http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch21.html
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