# Help identifying a vegetable.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 23, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080 "2009-02-23T18:30:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080/1 "2009-02-23T18:30:24Z")

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I went to a restaurant some time back, and I had a vegetable that cannot find. It had the texture of a cooked carrot, and looked like a mix between white asparagus (without the tips) and carrots. I asked the waiter what it was, but I am having trouble remembering exactly what he said. It was something that sounded like “sass-a-fee”. Can anybody help out?

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**Author:** ![StinkyBurrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@StinkyBurrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StinkyBurrito)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080/2 "2009-02-23T18:35:28Z")

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[Salsify](http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/plant/salsify.htm)

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**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080/3 "2009-02-23T18:37:54Z")

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Sounds like [parsnip](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsnip) to me: they taste a like a slightly peppery/radishy carrot.

Edit: **StinkyBurrito** is probably right.

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080/4 "2009-02-23T19:51:24Z")

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Did it taste a little like oyster? Then it was probably salsify, as **StinkyBurrito** offered.

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**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-identifying-a-vegetable/487080/5 "2009-02-24T05:55:30Z")

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Yes. I think that’s it. Thanks for the help.