stalk vegetables [1]

Edible plants whose stems are consumed like vegetables; the leaves of some varieties are also edible.

celery

One of the best-known and most popular stalk vegetables, it is often served raw with dips; the leaves and seeds are used to season a variety of dishes.

head

Group of leafy branches joined at the base; the branches easily break off from the base and can then be cut to the desired length.

branch

Fleshy grooved stem with leaf-bearing offshoots; the main edible part of the celery is eaten raw or cooked.

bamboo shoot

Very popular in Asia, this plant can only be eaten once cooked; it is an essential ingredient in sukiyaki, a typical Japanese dish.

fennel

Mainly associated with Italian cooking; the bulb is eaten as a vegetable while the leaves and seeds are used to season a variety of dishes.

stalk

Part of the fennel growing out of the bulb and bearing small feathery dark-green leaves; it is traditionally used to flavor fish dishes.

bulb

Fleshy edible part of the fennel, composed of the overlapping enlarged parts at the base of the stems.

fiddlehead fern

When coiled, this young shoot is ready to eat; it is especially popular in salads, pasta dishes and omelettes.

asparagus

Often thought of as a luxury, it is picked before fully ripe; whether served hot or cold, it is always cooked.

tip

Top end of the spear; the most valued part of the asparagus for cooking.

bundle

A number of asparagus spears tied together; asparagus is usually sold in this way.

spear

Young asparagus shoot that constitutes the plant’s edible part and grows out of an underground stem; its hard end is usually removed before cooking.