Purple Morning Star - Tragopogon Porrifolius, An Ancient Forgotten Vegetable From The Middle Ages Stock Photo

With names such as poor man's asparagus, white salsify and oat root, it quickly becomes clear that the root was used as a vegetable. In the sixteenth century it was a popular vegetable, but was later increasingly replaced by salsify (Scorzonera hispanica). The fact that these vegetables are no longer popular is perhaps evident from the name Kitchen Maid Sadness, which refers to the sticky milk juice that is released when peeling the carrots.