Parsnips
 

Seeing Mrs T's post about sweet potatoes set me on another vegetable line of thought: parsnips.

For a long time I thought Portuguese didn't even have a word for these delectable roots. In fact it does: cherivia. (In most European languages the word for parsnip is something like "pastinak".)

I've never seen a parsnip in the Algarve, though I have in a Lisbon supermarket (where the packet was labelled 'parsnip' in English). Online I've learnt that they are grown in Serra da Estrêla, and Covilhã even has a parsnip festival.

So
1. Are parsnips sold anywhere in the Algarve? (Apolonia, maybe?)
2. Would they grow in the Algarve? Not enough cold/frost?

Any parsnip-wisdom welcome.

Re: Parsnips
 

I have seen parsnips for sale in Intermarche in Aljezur and also Baptista supermarket in Praia da Luz.

Regards
Liz

Re: Parsnips
 

Apolonia
Iceland
Pingo Doce
:thumbsup:

Re: Parsnips
 

I have seen them for sale in continente last year but they were dried and yucky , this year i am growing my own, also growing swede :thumbsup:

Re: Parsnips
 

Thanks for the ideas. I haven't seen parsnips in Pingo (Tavira) unfortunately. Grow your own seems to be the way ahead.

Re: Parsnips
 

We've bought frozen in Pingo but not noticed fresh.

The market in Lagos (upstairs, above fishmarket) did have parsnips last year too.

And, obviously, I've seen them in Iceland

Re: Parsnips
 

Iceland!!

I was overjoyed to see frozen parsnips and diced frozen swede. At a good price!!

Re: Parsnips
 

Bought Xerovia (different ? correct? spelling) in Continente Loulé last week but admittedly they didn't have many and they were a bit smaller than I would prefer

http://www.quentalbiologico.com/?s=covilha+xerovia

Re: Parsnips
 

I don't whether you will be able to grow your own as they need a frost. :(

Re: Parsnips
 

mine grew last year , I think the frost is a taste thing like sprouts, hubby wont even attempt to grow sprouts, as "they wont taste the same without frost on them", I don't care cause I hate sprouts :rofl:

Re: Parsnips
 

The more you dig around Portuguese parsnips the stranger it gets! Can't get to the root of the problem!

The following seem to be words used:
cherovia
chirívia
cheruvia
cherivia
pastinaga
pastinaca

Seems odd to have at least six words for something so hard to find...

Re: Parsnips
 

"Thanks for the ideas. I haven't seen parsnips in Pingo (Tavira) unfortunately"

They do have them quite consistently in Vila Real
:)

Re: Parsnips
 

Re: Parsnips
 

I got our's at Tesco in Saffron Walden but it was a bit ott going all the way back to Blighty for root vegies. If you pay my diesel you are welcome to a couple of bags FOC.
Cumprimentos Threelabs

Re: Parsnips
 

I picked up some good parsnips at Pingo VRSA - thanks for the tip. I also got a swede at Iceland which was a bit tasteless (no fresh parsnips there when I called).