Turnips or Rutabagas
By CoffeeAnyone
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
Canada
August 19, 2009 1:18am CST
Is a Turnip a Rutabaga or is a Rutabaga a Turnip in your grocery stores? When I was a young girl living in Atlantic Canada; a Turnip looked like what I now know to be a Rutabaga in Western Canada. This baffled me for a long time but I soon accepted that when I went shopping for a Turnip it didn't look the same way as it did when I was growing up. No because I was eating a Rutabaga and not a Turnip. Every time I go shopping for Rutabagas I find myself thinking about how this mix up could have been. Many years have gone by now and I often think to myself was it real or in my imagination about the Turnip mix up; after all I was just a kid when I lived back East. I don't wonder anymore though. In the past month or so at least 3 people have told me that when they were kids living in Eastern Canada a Rutabaga was actually called a Turnip and they couldn't understand why in Western Canada it was a Rutabaga. Today was one of those days when someone told me when he went to the store to buy Turnips he was faced with the dilemma if I buy this Turnip is it actually a Rutabaga or really a Turnip? So I looked it up on the internet and if the pictures are correct a Turnip in Eastern Canada is actually a Rutabaga. Figure that! So check it out; in your grocery store is a Turnip actually a Rutabaga and Rutabaga a Turnip?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
19 Aug 09
I don't really want to add to your confusion but you have brought up something that I have not understood in 30 years!
When I was in UK I was very fond of swede. Then I moved to Italy and coudn't find any. The translation is rutabaga but no-one here know what it is. Turnips are called 'rape' and they have a small putple stripe on white.
To me swede has an oragny colour when cooked and I steam or boil it and mash it up with butter as a simple vegetable dish. Is that what you would do with rutabaga?
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
19 Aug 09
Yes that is exactly what I would do. I like to keep it simple just as you said and serve it iwth a meat dish. Will isn't that funny; the turnip rutabaga mix up is everywhere.
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
19 Aug 09
So in UK it is called 'swede' which cimplicates things even further.
Sad that whatever it is called I cannot find it here 
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
19 Aug 09
Hi coffeeanyone, I was reading this thinking what on earth is a rutabaga, I've never heard of it, I thought it could possibly be a swede and now that has been clarified. It's handy to know their different names as wouldn't want to be caught out, I would never buy either as really dislike the taste, two vegetables I dislike which is rare for me. But whilst I am sure to not buy them I could have accidentaly been served them if don't know the right name as sometimes they can hide on a plate and pretend to be squash or potato.
I wonder if I'll need to look up swede or rutabaga in the dictionary to find out which one I need to avoid in Greek, turnip I already know and avoid.
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
19 Aug 09
That is to funny Thea09. If you don't like these delicious vegetables then what vegies do you like?
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
20 Aug 09
Ah we have something in common. Brussels sprouts are my all time favourite as well. Will I think they are? Lets see, when I am eating corn on the cob I think nothing can be better but then I have a mixture of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with cheese sauce and I think ah this is just the best. So I guess it depends on whets for dinner. Maybe I just love food. It is probably easier to say what I don’t like; for instance I know for sure I don’t like anchovies. What is your all time least favourite food?
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
19 Aug 09
Oh most anything else apart from those two, but the trick is to have them cooked properly, I haven't been able to face brocolli since a friend piled it on my plate after boiling it for two hours, I like a bit of bite.
So my veggies choices would be roasted red peppers, all salads, aubergines - that's probably eggplant to you, okra again probably ladies fingers to you but bamyess to us, brussels sprouts are my favourite but they are only a few weeks a year, onions, roaste shallots, roasted garlic, tiny new potatoes, the list goes on.
There is one certain person in my life who often demands attendance at family dinners and I would never let her know my dislike of turnips or swedes or a big pile of them would end up on my plate, that's the brocolli killer by the way.
There is one certain person in my life who often demands attendance at family dinners and I would never let her know my dislike of turnips or swedes or a big pile of them would end up on my plate, that's the brocolli killer by the way.1 person likes this
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
19 Aug 09
yes that can be confusing. I understand that rutabaga and turnips are two different vegetables, although they do look similar. Turnips are smaller and stronger tasting so I understand.
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
19 Aug 09
I am not so sure about one being smaller but I have noticed one of them is more white in color while the other has more of a yellow flesh. According to the pictures on the internet the Turnip is more white and the Rutabaga is the yellow. None the less I have learn't to enjoy them both. How about you?
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
19 Aug 09
Mostly what I see in the stores is rutabagas which I buy. I find the quality so variable, I think it is how long they are stored. Some are nice and sweet and crunchy with a delicious earthy flavour, but others are tough and fibrous. I like them in a stew, or sometimes I cook them on their own and have then chopped, or mashed, or sometimes mixed with carrots. Mixing them with carrots gives them color and flavour as mashed rutebegas tend to look bland.
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
16 Nov 10
Wow thanks for the best response, it has been a year since I have been here and had almost forgot about MyLot. I used to be here everyday and made a few dollars here. I am doing a lot of contesting now and so far so good.
I also believe you can eat turnip tops, but not sure about rutabaga tops, I don't think so. Also I have found turnips should be younger and smaller as as they get bigger and older they can get woody. I found that out as I bought several and the big ones were uneatable.
