Tubers:Do you know what tubers are? List of the 10 most famous

Having a balanced diet involves consuming foods that provide us with all the nutrients and vitamins necessary for our proper functioning. In this sense we always talk about proteins, fruits and vegetables but we should not overlook carbohydrates.

But do you know what is one of the main sources of carbohydrates ? Yes, we are talking about tubers, a food that contains vitamins, minerals and everything necessary to take care of our health. If you want to know more about what kind of food tubers are and know some examples, we will tell you below, so do not hesitate and continue reading.

Tubers: what are they and what are their properties

Surely you have ever heard of tubers, but do you know what kind of food they are ? Tubers are structures that certain plants develop underground, as if they were modified and thickened stems that function at the plant store level.

In this sense, what it does is store there both nutrients and other reserve substances that allow it to maintain itself, one of the most common being starch.

These stems also allow the plant to reproduce and propagate by creating similar ones without the need for sexual reproduction itself. So, as we can see, it is a survival strategy for the plant.

However, all these properties are what have made humans also take advantage of them in gastronomy . And it is that the tubers have a practically non-existent caloric level in contrast to all the carbohydrates and vitamins that they provide us.

10 tubers that you have to know and include in your diet

Now that you know what tubers are and how they can help you in your health, it is important that you know the 10 main tubers that you have in all supermarkets to incorporate them into your diet. Take note!

1. Potato

Probably one of the best known tubers is the potato and, in addition to being extremely widespread , it is also one of the most versatile foods.

Ideal to accompany all kinds of recipes and protagonist in the potato omelette , it is undoubtedly one of the products that we must always have in our pantry.

2. Turnip

The turnip is also a tuber that comes from the Brassica rapa, a species that is native to India. It is a product with a slightly spicy flavor , something that makes it widely used in Indian cuisine, although its use is becoming more and more widespread.

3. Carrot

Carrots also have many benefits and are a very versatile product that go well with any type of recipe.

They come from the Daucus carota, a species that comes from Iran and has many advantages, although one of the main ones is related to the care of our eyes.

4. Sweet potato

Despite being somewhat more unknown, the sweet potato is making a bigger and bigger hole in the kitchen thanks to all the nutrients and vitamins it provides.

One of the main ones is potassium, which helps us take care of the health of our heart.

5. Radish

It is the tuber of Raphanus sativus, a species that is currently cultivated all over the world thanks to the great acceptance that this product has had by the public.

Radish has many benefits , including the fact that it helps us lose weight thanks to its low caloric intake.

6. Wasabi

Maybe you didn’t know it but wasabi is also a tuber that comes from Eutrema japonicum. Surely you know it for being one of the most used foods in Japanese cuisine as a condiment for their dishes.

Its flavor is very bitter, spicy and quite strong, so it is not suitable for all types of palates, although it is true that it is usually an ideal accompaniment to sushi.

Regarding its properties, it provides us with high levels of vitamin C that help us delay aging.

7. Chufa

The tigernut with which the horchata is made also comes from a tuber, specifically the Cyperus esculentus which is located in Valencia (Spain).

However, its origins probably go back to the Arab era and it was introduced by them in this country, although its current use is very common in this area.

8. Cassava

In this case we are talking about a plant species that is native to South America, where it is grown in both tropical and subtropical regions: Manihot esculenta.

This product is often widely used in Latin American countries where it is consumed as a substitute for potatoes , although it is true that its use is becoming more widespread in other countries.

9. Ginseng

Another well-known root that is widely used in gastronomy is ginseng, which comes from Panax ginseng, a plant that has been used since ancient times in medicine of Chinese origin.

Ginseng is associated with many benefits , although it is true that one of the most notable has to do with male sexual desire.

10. Ginger

Finally we have ginger, a tuber of Zingiber officinale, a plant whose origins are Indian. Ginger has a slightly spicy flavor and is often used extensively in gastronomy to enrich recipes.

It also has many properties for our health since it speeds up metabolism and helps us treat certain diseases , such as infectious ones.

As you have just seen, tubers have many interesting properties for health which vary depending on the food itself that we consume. We hope that this list has helped you to get to know them better and encourages you to incorporate them into your diet.