Every so often, you come across a curious piece of menu jargon. It sounds familiar. It looks familiar.
Maybe you’ve even consumed it a time or two. But what the heck is it, really? Great question.
Sounds like a job for The Interpreter.
The word: Salsify (sal-suh-fee).
Its origin: From French salsifis, derived from Italian sassefrica, derived from Late Latin saxifrica, roughly meaning “rock to rub.”
What it refers to: A long, thin Mediterranean root vegetable with thick skin, creamy flesh and absolutely nothing to do with salsa.
Not even a little bit? No.
Where you’ve seen it: Restaurants that use the word “foraged” extensively; a farmers’ market you got lost in.
How it usually appears on menus: Browned with butter; glazed with fruit; roasted with fish.
Fun fact for dinner conversation: “Salsify is also known as the ‘oyster plant’ or ‘vegetable oyster’ due to its oyster-y flavor.”
Appropriate response: “I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
Sounds like a job for The Interpreter.
The word: Salsify (sal-suh-fee).
Its origin: From French salsifis, derived from Italian sassefrica, derived from Late Latin saxifrica, roughly meaning “rock to rub.”
What it refers to: A long, thin Mediterranean root vegetable with thick skin, creamy flesh and absolutely nothing to do with salsa.
Not even a little bit? No.
Where you’ve seen it: Restaurants that use the word “foraged” extensively; a farmers’ market you got lost in.
How it usually appears on menus: Browned with butter; glazed with fruit; roasted with fish.
Fun fact for dinner conversation: “Salsify is also known as the ‘oyster plant’ or ‘vegetable oyster’ due to its oyster-y flavor.”
Appropriate response: “I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
