Turnip - a tasty and healthy root vegetable - was widespread in Kievan Rus. However, in the 19th century, it was ousted from the tables by the increasingly popular potatoes, and turnips were unfairly deleted from the everyday menu of Russians.
In the northern regions of Kievan Rus, turnip was very widespread. It remained the main Russian vegetable and staple food until the 18th century, when potatoes began to successfully replace it. In ancient Russia, turnip was the daily food of not only the common people, but also the boyars. They fermented it like cabbage, boiled it, even made jam with honey, ate it with butter and kvass, in case of a crop failure, grain was added to bread, but most often turnips were steamed. Hence the saying "Easier than a steamed turnip!"
Unfortunately, over the past two centuries, almost all folk recipes for making turnips have been lost. However, from the book "The Gardener" by Vasily Levshin, published in 1817, one can learn that the juice squeezed out of grated turnip and "boiled with sugar" was used to treat scurvy. They also drank stewed turnip juice for colds. In addition, turnip can be useful for certain digestive ailments, as it increases the secretion of gastric juice and increases appetite. However, the same property of turnip can be harmful, so the root vegetable should not be eaten by people suffering from stomach or duodenal ulcers, intestinal inflammation and thyroid disease.
Acute laryngitis was also treated with turnip juice. A glass of fresh juice, diluted by a third with water, also has a choleretic effect. Boiled turnips were used for asthma, to reduce palpitations and improve sleep. For gout, compresses were made from this root vegetable to reduce pain. Warm decoction of turnip, which has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, rinsed the mouth with toothache. An increase in gastric secretion is facilitated by mashed fresh turnip puree with vegetable oil.
In addition to medicinal properties, turnip has a high nutritional value. This root vegetable contains vitamins of group B and A, as well as many minerals necessary for the body. You can cook many tasty and healthy dishes from turnips. It can be boiled, stewed, fried and stuffed, and can be used raw or boiled in salads.
