540 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE COOKING OF BOOTS AND TUBEES. 

 By 0. Herman Senn, G.C.A. 

 [Read September 27, 1912; Mr. W. A. Bilney in the Chair.] 



Roots and tubers are rich in carbohydrates, containing large quantities 

 of starch, sugar, or inuhn, and certain mineral salts as well. 



To English people the potato naturally occurs first among this 

 group of vegetables. It is certainly a useful one, and valuable from 

 a dietetic point of view for its starch and mineral salts, especially 

 the latter. Potash salts are the most abundant, as well as the most 

 important, of the mineral matters contained in the potato, and as 

 some of the potash is combined with citric acid, the potato has, in 

 consequence, exceptional value as an anti-scorbutic. Again, potato 

 starch, provided the potatos cook dry and mealy, is most wholesome 

 and easily digested. 



Potatos in the past have been cruelly abused in the cooking. 

 English cooks are especially to blame in this particular, most of the 

 goodness of the potato being lost in the processes of preparation and 

 cooking. Crude methods of boiling and baking seem to be the only | 

 ones in vogue in most English establishments, notwithstanding the 

 fact that a cookery-book has been published describing three hundred 

 different ways of serving this vegetable. Various kinds of tropical 

 tubers somewhat similar to potatos may now be obtained in the London 

 markets, and these form a welcome relief from the English potato. 

 The sweet potato, or Batatas, forms the food of the poorer classes 

 in the United States; it is also used in France and Spain. It con- i 

 tains 16 per cent, starch and 10 per cent, sugar, whence its name. 

 The sweet potato used to be eaten in England before the present 

 potato was widely grown. Yams, especially the white yam, approach | 

 very nearly to the potato in taste, but are more nutritious. The ' 

 majority of people who taste them for the first time prefer them to 

 the potato owing to their superior flavour. Both these tropical tubers i 

 may be cooked by the same methods as the common potato. | 



Other equally well-known English root- vegetables are carrots, 

 turnips, and parsnips; but these seem to have fallen somewhat out 

 of favour of recent years, partly owing to their natural insipidity and ! 

 partly because other root -vegetables are taking their place. These 

 newer kinds will be dealt with later. Much of the insipidity of the j 

 above-named roots might be avoided by peeling or scraping them 

 after cooking, as we do with beetroots, and by serving them with | 

 some borrowed piquant flavouring, such as savoury sauces, mustard, 

 curry powder or paste, herbs, and spices. Carrots have a special 

 food- value owing to the sugar they contain, but they have the dis- 

 advantage of being indigestible. Parsnips contain both sugar and 



