North American native to the Mississippi River valley, the pecan grows on a type of hickory tree that grows to a height of about 150 feet. Each tree produces about 200 pounds of the nut each year, and is harvested in the autumn. Archaeological evidence has revealed...

Leeks are a relative to the onion and garlic family, but are different as people consume their leaves rather than the bulb. They are a native to Central Asia, and have been cultivated in the region for thousands of years. Greeks and Romans popularized the vegetable,...

Although most consider the olive a vegetable, its actually a fruit. Many consume green and black olives, the only difference between the two being their degree of ripeness – green being the less ripe. Olives are usually prepared by being cured or pickled in oil, water...

Raisins are a common American snack made from dehydrated grapes. Ancient Phoenicians and Armenians worked to prefect the process of making raisins. In Rome, raisins were used to adorn places of worship, used as barter currency and were even given as prizes at sporting...

Cabbage is a relative of broccoli, brussel sprouts, and radishes as a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables. Modern cabbage has developed over centuries from a plant brought to Europe from Asia by a band of Celtic people around 600 B.C.E. From then on,...