Parsnip

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/parsnip

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Biennial herbaceous plant, Apiaceae family
2. What is the primary edible component?Taproot, rich in starches and natural sugars
3. Why do parsnips taste sweeter after frost?After frost, a parsnip’s sweetness increases because cold hardening turns starches into sugars. This makes the root taste sweeter when you eat it.
4. How do cooks make parsnips taste even better?Roasting a parsnip lets the heat caramelize its sugars, creating a sweet, nutty, and slightly spicy flavor. The high heat also makes the inside tender and the outside a little crisp.

Biennial Plant: A plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons.
Cold Hardening: A plant's physiological process of becoming more resistant to cold temperatures.
Maillard Reaction: A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinctive flavor.
Apiaceae Family: A plant family commonly known as the carrot, parsley, or celery family.