Top 10 veg­eta­bles facts

Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a species of melon that has been developed into many cultivated varieties. These include smooth-skinned varieties such as honeydew, Crenshaw, and casaba, and different netted cultivars (cantaloupe, Persian melon, and Santa Claus or Christmas melon). Muskmelon is native to Iran, Anatolia and the Caucasus.

Minestrone is a thick soup of Italian origin, made with vegetables, often with the addition of pasta or rice, sometimes both. Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes.

Leek. The leek is the national emblem of Wales. According to legend the patron saint of Wales, Saint David, ordered his Welsh soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the leek on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) in the case of one particular group of cultivars, canola), is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed. It is the third-largest source of vegetable oil in the world.

Yellow. Cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. It is a creeping vine that bears cucumiform fruits that are used as vegetables. Cucumber plants produce separate male and female flowers on each plant, both in yellow color.

Pepper sharpness. The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness/heat) of chili peppers and other spicy foods, as recorded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) based on the concentration of capsaicin. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, whose 1912 method is known as the Scoville organoleptic test.

Chinese vegetable. Bok choy or pak choi is a type of Chinese cabbage. Bok choy contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses, but, like many substances, can be toxic to humans in large doses, particularly to people who are already seriously ill.

Cauliflower. The cauliflower head is composed of a white inflorescence meristem. Cauliflower heads resemble those in broccoli, which differs in having flower buds as the edible portion.

Artichokes. Cynar is an Italian bitter liqueur of the amaro variety. It is made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant amongst which is the artichoke (Cynara scolymus), from which the drink derives its name. Cynar is dark brown in color, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 16.5% ABV. It was launched in Italy in 1952. Cynar is an Apertif (low sugar, low alcohol, meant to stimulate appetite), and can be consumed by itself, or in a number of cocktails.

Cucumber. Watermelons are only 92 percent water.The title of most water-filled fruit or vegetable, by contrast, is a tie between the cucumber and iceberg lettuce, both with 96 percent water content. In fact vegetables win, hands down, in this contest as among commonly consumed fruits and vegetables the top eight are vegetables: cucumber (96 percent), slightly less; iceberg lettuce, celery, radish, zucchini, red tomatoes, and green cabbage.