Classification of Vegetables: 9 Categories

Brassica:

Including cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and bokchoy, these vegetables from the cabbage family are commonly used in broths and braised dishes during winter.

Fruit Vegetables:

Tomatoes, avocados, brinjals, and peppers belong to this category, offering a variety of flavors and textures in dishes due to their seed-bearing nature.

Gourds and Squashes:

With over 750 varieties, gourds like bottle gourd and winter squashes like butternut squash are versatile ingredients used in both summer and winter cuisines, with their attractive flowers also finding use in modern cookery.

Greens:

Spinach, watercress, and radicchio are leafy greens commonly cooked and mildly spiced, adding depth of flavor to various dishes.

Fungus:

While not true vegetables, mushrooms like button mushrooms, shiitake, portabella, and porcini are popular ingredients with varying flavors and textures, though caution is needed as not all varieties are edible.

Roots and Tubers:

Carrots, radishes, and onions represent root vegetables, while potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and colocasia are examples of tubers, providing starchy bases for many dishes.

Pods and Seeds:

Green peas, okra, snap peas, and pulses are examples of vegetables containing seeds enclosed in pods, offering high protein and carbohydrate content.

Stems:

Celery and rhubarb, categorized as stem vegetables, are rich in cellulose fiber and are best consumed when young and tender.

Baby Vegetables:

This modern classification includes hybrid varieties or vegetables harvested before maturity, prized for their attractive appearance and retained appeal without the need for peeling.