Our routine diet includes vegetables as these are rich in flavor and nutrients. Usually, we eat vegetables after cooking, baking, and in many other ways.
While some people like to eat raw vegetables because they think that raw vegetables are more flavorful and nutritious.
The whole diet of vegans comprises vegetables. But, ever you think all these vegetables are natural or not? Or, are there man made vegetables that exist? And, if yes, then what vegetables are man made? If you have such questions in your mind, stick to this article till the end to find the answers.
What Vegetables Are Man Made
The modern era is the era of science and technology. And, as science progresses, the life style of man changes dramatically.
Nowadays, man has become successful in achieving desirable traits according to his needs and preferences.
And, if we talk about human diet, there are numerous varieties of vegetables and fruits that are not natural.
In fact, man produces them from natural varieties, so these are inventions of man. Its primary objective is to obtain desirable traits that are flavorful and also have greater demand in the market.
Interestingly, there are numerous vegetables that are not natural but still, these are part of our routine diet.
However, when we talk about man made vegetables, that’s not mean they are artificial or made by any machinery. In fact, such vegetables are the product of selective breeding or hybridization process.
Selective breeding is the process of cultivating several generations of genetically engineered breeds of either plants or animals.
And, this process is useful for obtaining desirable traits in resultant generations. Nowadays, numerous vegetables, fruits, and even animals are the products of selective breeding.
However, we focus only on vegetables, in this article. So, let’s explore what vegetables are man made?
Broccoli
Broccoli is usually a large edible flower with fleshy stalks, which many people love to eat. In fact, it is usually popular among vegans.
And, the reason for this fact is that broccoli goes well in food recipes, salads, stews, soups, dips, and pickles.
Interestingly, you can eat its stalk and flowers both raw and cooked. And, its flavor is quite similar to cabbage and cauliflower as these all belong to the same family. However, its flavor varies from mild to strong in different varieties.
Many people consider broccoli is a natural vegetable as it adds nutrition to their diet. But, you may surprise to know that broccoli is not a natural vegetable. In fact, broccoli is the invention of man.
Broccoli was initially cultivated from the wild cabbage plant that is common as a mustard plant (Brassica Oleracea). Basically, leaves of the mustard plant are bred to produce broccoli.
Through the process of selective breeding, broccoli is bred to achieve the specific flavor and taste that the ancestor plant lacks.
Besides the fact that broccoli is not a natural vegetable, it is still rich in essential nutrients like dietary fibers, vitamins, and trace minerals. So, it is a healthy choice for your favorite food dishes.
Cabbage
Cabbage is a green or white leafy vegetable that belongs to the wild family, “Brassicas”, most precisely a mustard plant. It is common in our food dishes and salads as it is a healthy diet with low calories.
People like to eat cabbage in different ways. For instance, cabbage is mostly a primary constituent of several stews, side dishes, dips, pickles, and salads. However, you can also eat it raw or after cooking.
The flavor of cabbage is mild peppery when you eat it raw. But, its flavor gets sweeter as you cook it. And, cabbage is not a natural vegetable like broccoli. It is also a product of selective breeding techniques.
The first cabbage was produced by the hybridization of terminal leaf buds of the mustard plant. And, after several generations, it takes a distinct form that is pretty much familiar to us.
Although, cabbage is the invention of modern man, but it is quite nutritious and healthy to eat. As, it fulfils your daily requirements of essential nutrients like minerals, vitamins, dietary fibers, manganese, and iron. Also, it is a low-calorie diet.
Nowadays, there are several varieties of cabbage available in the market that differ in colors or flavor. So, you can choose any variety according to your taste preferences. But, these are all healthy choices for your tasty meal.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a vegetable with a large edible flesh having a short stalk. Its flesh color varies in different varieties, but white flesh is quite common.
Cauliflower is popular in several food recipes like soups, dips, stews, and salads. And, you can also eat it raw, or after cooking, or roasting.
When you eat cauliflower raw, it tastes mild nutty, or sweet. However, its flavor becomes sweet from a mild taste when you cook it.
And, cauliflower is also a vegetable that is man made, like broccoli and cabbage. However, more precisely, cauliflower is produced by the selective breeding of flower buds of the mustard plant.
The primary objective of this hybridization is to achieve a plant variety with better taste and flavor. And, after breeding several generations, man becomes successful in achieving those desirable traits.
However, there are also numerous varieties of cauliflower that have distinct traits. These varieties differ in taste, color, and other characteristics. But, all these varieties of cauliflower are nutritious.
In addition, cauliflower is rich in nutrients like vitamins A & K, trace minerals, and other essential nutrients. Also, it is a low-calorie diet. Therefore, it is a healthy choice for your next meal.
Carrot
Carrot is a sweet and crunchy vegetable having orange to red color. Mostly, people love to eat raw carrots, as these are sweet in taste.
However, carrots are quite common in recipes like soups, pickles, salads, stews, and other dishes.
But, you may surprise to know that carrot is also a vegetable that is not natural. Yes, orange carrot, which is much familiar to us, is the hybrid of its wild ancestor varieties.
Naturally, purple, black, and red carrots were existing primitively. But, these were not so flavorful.
Therefore, man cultivates the hybrid varieties of naturally occurring carrots. And thus, orange carrots are now available, which have a quite sweeter and royal taste.
Although, carrots are the hybrid product of selective breeding, but still these are rich in nutrients.
For instance, beta carotenes, vitamins, antioxidants, and fibers are present in sufficient quantities in carrots. Therefore, carrots are also known as nutrient bombs.
You can consume carrots in a number of different ways. However, their use in salads, cuisines, juices, soups, and pickles is quite common all over the world.
Spinach
Spinach is a green leafy edible vegetable that you can eat either raw or after cooking. It is mildly sweet and grassy in taste when you eat it raw. But, its taste changes and becomes a little tangy and herb-like when you cook it.
Interestingly, spinach is also a vegetable that is not natural and is the product of selective breeding technique. About thousands of years ago, spinach was selectively bred from a wild plant (Spinacia Turkestanica).
This wild plant is the closest ancestor of numerous varieties of spinach. And, the primary objective of this breeding is to produce a spinach variety with a better yield, shape, flavor, and leaf size. So, it is a hybrid variety, not a natural.
Nowadays, there are a large number of spinach varieties available in the market. As, different countries cultivate distinct spinach varieties. And, spinach is quite popular in our routine dishes, and we simply love it.
Even spinach is man made, but still meets our daily nutrient requirements. And thus, there’s no doubt that spinach is a healthy choice for your favourite dishes.
Corn
Corn or maize is a cereal grain having bright yellow kernels. Nowadays, corn has become a staple to every kitchen all over the world.
And, you can estimate its significance from the fact that its production is surpassing than the overall production of wheat and rice in the world.
Corn is quite popular, and people directly consume it and just love it. However, several corn products are also widely popular. Corn products such as corn gluten, corn syrup, corn flour, corn oil, corn meal, cornflakes, and many others are common in our dishes.
About ten thousand years ago, corn or maize was firstly cultivated in Central Mexico. It is a hybrid of two different varieties of grains.
Its first ancestor is a Teosite (Wild plant) which is the grass-like plant. And, its second ancestor is another primitive grass plant that resembles wheat.
Thus, corn is not naturally occurring but a hybrid of wild varieties. The main objective of this hybridization is to produce a corn variety with more yield and flavor.
People love the corn recipes and dishes. For instance, corn is widely popular in sausages, soups, salads, casseroles, and dips. Besides this, corn is also quite common in savory as well as sweet recipes.
Potatoes
The potato is a plant tuber or a root vegetable and is full of starch. Potatoes are native to Central America. But nowadays, these have become kitchen staple all over the world. People love to eat potatoes in their diet.
However, the potatoes that are quite familiar to us today are not natural. But, these are the hybrid of its wild, primitive varieties. The process of selective breeding produces numerous varieties of potatoes till now.
And thus, these varieties give better yield and are also resistant to pests and various diseases. Although, potatoes are man made, but these are quite nutritious and healthy. Potatoes are rich in nutrients like carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and other trace nutrients.
Are Man Made Vegetables Bad For You?
When we talk about vegetables that are not natural but the final product of selective breeding, it doesn’t mean that these vegetables are artificial.
Because, the main objective of this breeding is to produce vegetables with better taste, flavor, and yield.
However, these are still natural and nutritious. So, it is a myth that such hybrids of vegetables are not healthy or good for you.
In fact, scientists only crossbreed the different varieties of plants or animals to achieve desirable traits in offspring varieties.
But still, these hybrids grow naturally. Therefore, you can consume them without any hesitation. In fact, numerous varieties of vegetable hybrids are more flavorful and nutritious than their wild natural ancestors.
Conclusion
What vegetables are man made? There are numerous vegetables that are not natural but appear as the hybrid of several wild varieties. Thus, we usually say that these vegetables are the invention of modern man.
Vegetables that are not natural include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, corn, carrot, and potatoes. Besides this, there are several other vegetables that are not natural but quite common in our diet.
However, all these vegetables are safe to eat and also healthy. So, enjoy them.
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