根菜

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 根菜, read こんさい, means vegetables grown mainly for their edible underground parts.
• Basic usage: It is used for simmering radishes or carrots, or cutting them smaller so they cook more easily.
  • 冬は大根や人参などの根菜を煮込む。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The edible part compared with 葉物
  • 根菜 refers to vegetables eaten mainly for underground roots or stems, while 葉物 refers to vegetables eaten mainly for their leaves.