Kohlrabi is a vegetable that looks like a small alien spaceship landed in your garden. It grows as a round, bulbous stem that sits above the ground with leaves sprouting out from all sides. The bulb can be pale green or purple, about the size of a baseball or softball, and it has a crisp, crunchy texture when you bite into it.

The taste is mild and slightly sweet, similar to the stem of broccoli but more delicate, with a hint of cabbage flavor (which makes sense, since kohlrabi is related to cabbage, broccoli, and kale). You can eat it raw, sliced into sticks for dipping, or cooked in stir-fries and soups. The leaves are edible too, though most people focus on the strange-looking bulb.

While kohlrabi isn't as common in American grocery stores as carrots or potatoes, it's popular in German, Indian, and Vietnamese cooking. If you see one at a farmers market, its unusual appearance might make you curious enough to try it. Sometimes the most interesting foods are the ones that look a bit odd at first glance.