If you think you’ve tried every vegetable under the sun, get ready to be humbled—and excited. The world of greens, roots, shoots, and tubers is way wilder than your grocery store’s produce aisle would have you believe.
These veggies have been cherished in home kitchens for centuries, yet somehow still manage to feel like hidden treasures.
Let’s dig into the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly underrated.
1. Romanesco
Nature went full sci-fi on this one. Looking like a lime-green cauliflower from a spaceship, Romanesco is actually a cousin of broccoli, with a nutty, mildly sweet flavor.
Roast it with olive oil and lemon, and it transforms into crispy fractal magic.
2. Oca (Oxalis Tuberosa)
Bright like crayons and tangy like sour candy, these Andean tubers pack personality. They come in shades of pink, orange, and yellow, with a lemony snap when raw and a creamy, potato-like feel once roasted.
I toss them with butter and herbs and pretend I’m hiking Machu Picchu.
3. Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke)
Don’t let the name fool you—there’s no artichoke or Jerusalem involved.
These knobby roots taste like sweet, earthy sunflower seeds when roasted. They’re criminally underrated mashed with garlic or blitzed into soup.
4. Celtuce
It’s like lettuce and celery had a rebellious child. The long stem is the star—crisp like jicama, with a slightly bitter, nutty crunch.
I love slicing it thin and tossing it into stir-fries for an unexpected bite.
5. Malabar Spinach
Don’t expect it to wilt like your regular spinach. With thick, glossy leaves and a slick, almost mucilaginous texture when cooked, it thrives in hot climates and curry pots.
I first had it in a South Indian dal, and I’ve been obsessed ever since.
6. Chayote
Mild, crunchy, and shaped like a wrinkled pear, chayote soaks up flavor like a sponge. It works in slaws, sautés, or stuffed and baked with cheese and herbs.
I grew up seeing it in my grandma’s stews—comfort food with a crisp twist.
7. Chinese Artichoke (Crosne)
Tiny, knobby, and so fun to eat, these look like white caterpillars—but in a good way. They’re crunchy with a sweet, nutty flavor that shines when pan-fried in butter.
Finding them is a challenge, but cooking them feels like discovering buried treasure.
8. Kangkong (Water Spinach)
Don’t sleep on this Southeast Asian favorite. The hollow stems soak up sauces like nobody’s business, and the tender leaves are perfect in garlic stir-fries.
It’s the veggie equivalent of a blank canvas that always ends up beautiful.
9. Sea Kale
A coastal cousin of cabbage, sea kale is salty, earthy, and briny—like the beach on a plate. The leaves are sturdy and mineral-rich, perfect for grilling or baking.
I stumbled on it in a British farmer’s market once, and I was not disappointed.
10. Yardlong Beans
They really do stretch up to three feet, and cooking them feels like wrangling vegetable spaghetti. Chewier and more robust than your average green bean, they’re a stir-fry staple in Chinese and Thai cuisine.
I love chopping them short and blistering them in a hot wok with chili and garlic.
11. Jicama
Crisp, juicy, and lightly sweet, jicama is like an apple that ditched sugar for subtlety. It’s amazing raw in slaws or dunked in chili-lime salt.
Whenever I slice it up, I end up snacking half of it before it hits the bowl.
12. Fiddlehead Ferns
They look like little green scrolls, freshly unfurled from a fairy forest. The taste sits somewhere between asparagus and spinach, with a delicate, grassy note.
A quick sauté with butter and lemon is all they need to feel like spring on a plate.
13. Tatsoi
This tender leafy green has a gentle mustard bite and a smooth, spoon-like shape. I love it in salads, but it wilts beautifully into soups or noodles too.
It’s like spinach’s cooler, sleeker cousin that’s always in the know.
14. Tinda (Indian Round Gourd)
Round, squat, and slightly fuzzy, tinda is a staple in North Indian home cooking. It’s mild on its own but comes alive when simmered in tomato-onion masala.
I had it with fresh roti once and immediately wanted to bottle the moment.
15. Celeriac
Bumpy and beastly on the outside, this root is pure gold beneath. When roasted, it’s earthy, creamy, and deeply satisfying—like mashed potatoes that decided to get complex.
Shred it raw into slaw with lemon and mustard and call it lunch.