Are you a Swede or Turnip person?

Not since Holden versus Ford, or electric razor versus blade has there been so much debate over the merit of two choices.

What is the difference between a swede and a turnip?

Apart from the obvious jokes about Scandanavians and present prime ministers, there is merit in this question.

A turnip is a smaller vegetable, white flesh, with purple tinge, and member of brassica family.

One of the oldest vegetables in Europe, it dates back to 2000BC, before iPods were invented!

Before potatoes became all the rage, they were a key part of the average diet of average folk and middle management.

The swede, a yellow-purple colour, came much later, around the 17th century – from Sweden of course – called the “rutabaga”, meaning “root and bag” (we’ll leave that alone).

Considered peasant food, it is in fact very high in nutrients, higher than the turnip with loads of vitamin C, potassium, fibre, calcium, iron, vitamin A and cancer fighting glucosinilates.

So there!