Scorzonera hispanica

Scorzonera hispanica, also known as Spanish Scorzonera or black salsify, is an ancient vegetable, somewhat forgotten, to be rediscovered for its delicate flavour and high nutritional value. This perennial plant is cultivated as an annual or biennial, with its black and fleshy root consumed cooked and its young leaves in salads. It produces bright yellow heads in summer, carried at the end of slender stems. La Quintinie, the gardener of the Sun King, described it as follows: " [...] it is one of our main roots, admirable when cooked, both for the pleasure of taste and for the health of the body ". It is sown directly in place in spring for harvest in October.

Native to dry areas of the Caucasus and southern Europe, Scorzonera hispanica is a plant in the family Asteraceae, which differs from cultivated salsify, also consumed, known as Tragopogon porrifolius. Black salsify forms an upright rosette of lanceolate leaves, tapering at the top. The clumps measure 40cm (16in) in height and 20cm (8in) in width. The flowers appear in summer. They are bright yellow heads carried at the end of 1-metre (3 feet)-tall stems. The thick and long root can reach 1 metre (3 feet) in length and 2cm (1in) in width. Its fine and white flesh is covered with a black, somewhat rough skin. Unlike cultivated salsify, it does not become woody. It contains a significant amount of carbohydrates different from starch (inulin), and allantoin, a compound with well-known emollient properties. It is also rich in minerals such as potassium, iron, and calcium, as well as vitamin E. It also contains provitamin A, vitamins from the B and C groups, albeit in smaller quantities.

Plant Spanish Scorzonera in the vegetable garden, not far from carrots as it seems to protect them from flies. This plant requires a light, deep, and loose soil, free of stones, and a sunny location. Harvest the roots in autumn of the first year or, for August sowings, during the second season after flowering. The roots will then be much larger. The young leaves can be consumed raw in salads.