Recipe This | Turnip Vs Rutabaga Vs Swede Vs Neeps (2024)

FAQs

Are neeps and swede the same? ›

Well, “neeps” is just the Scots word for swede – that hard winter vegetable that people also use in soups and stews. You might also hear Scottish people saying “nips”, which is much more obviously short for “turnips”. It's a hard job to peel and chop the neeps, and then we boil and mash, then add a bit of seasoning.

In Ireland, the chunky, purple and orange root vegetables are commonly known as turnips, and in Scotland they are neeps. In the US, and in France too, they are rutabaga.

Swede is actually a cross between a turnip and cabbage. They are known as rutabaga in the United States but are called swede throughout the rest of the world. They are one of the hardiest root vegetables to harvest, they grow seasonally - autumn through to winter.

This comes from the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge, from rot 'root' + bagge 'lump, bunch'. In the U.S., the plant is also known as Swedish turnip or yellow turnip. The term swede (from "Swedish turnip") is used in many Commonwealth Nations, including much of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

A member of the cabbage family, the swede is often confused with the turnip, though they look quite different. It's also known as yellow turnip, Swedish turnip and Russian turnip and, in America, rutabaga.

The swede is similar to a Turnip but sweeter and milder in flavour so favoured by Chefs. Great in a vege soup! The swede is similar to a Turnip but sweeter and milder in flavour so favoured by Chefs.

The word “Rutabaga” comes from the Swedish “rotabagge,” which means root ram, baggy root, thick root and ram's foot. 2 The preferred name for Rutabaga in Europe is Swede or tumshie and neep in Scotland. In America, it's known as the Swedish turnip, yellow turnip, and Canadian turnip.

Rutabagas are more popular in regions like Scandinavia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom because they grow better in colder climates. The name “rutabaga” comes from the Swedish word rotabagge, which means “baggy root.” Rutabagas are also commonly referred to as Swedes, Neeps, or Swedish Turnips.

Most of us think of neep as being the Scots word for turnip and indeed it is both the more common word and much the older word for turnip. Tumshie only put in an appearance in the twentieth century while neep is centuries older.

In Ireland what we call turnip is, in fact, swede. Turnips are those small white and violet orbs with the green tops like a big white radish.

Are swede and parsnip the same? ›

Rutabagas (Swedes) are large yellow turnips in the family Brassicaceae which includes broccoli, mustard, and cabbage. Parsnips OTOH, like carrots, celery, and parsley, are members of the family Umbelliferae. Not closely related, except that they are both primarily root vegetables and their taste is totally different.

Boiled and mashed rutabaga is a favorite vegetable side in Ireland.

Neeps are what Scots, Irish and a lot of Northern English people call turnips - ie the big orange veg. Others call those a swede. The wee white ones - whether you call those a turnip or not - are not part of a 'neeps and tatties' recipe.

Rutabaga flesh is quite hard, so cut it using a sharp knife. This vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked. Try rutabagas: Boiled and mashed with other root vegetables like potatoes or carrots.

Since rutabaga is a cruciferous vegetable, it contains raffinose, which is a complex sugar that can sometimes cause abdominal discomfort, bloating and flatulence. There is methane-producing bacteria in the colon that feeds on raffinose, and for some people, this process can result in the release of gas.

The word likely comes from a shortening of turnip. Except that neeps aren't the turnips you might be thinking of… they're Swedish turnips, also known as swede or swedes.

Rutabaga or swede is a root vegetable, a form of Brassica napus. Other names include Swedish turnip, neep and trump – however, elsewhere the name "turnip" usually refers to the related white turnip.

Swedes and Turnips do come from the same family. Swede is a Swedish turnip, hence the name “swede”. They are bigger, tougher skinned, yellow fleshed and much hardier than a turnip. Turnips are the smaller ones, with smoother skin and white flesh.

I am a big fan of swedes/rutabagas. When I can't get them I use turnips, beets, daikon radishes. Carrots/parsnips add some interesting flavor as well. A couple other vegetables that are crunchy and nice-flavored but more exotic are celery root or jicama.