Reddish, fleshy stems emerge as a rosette from a tap root and each stem bears a large leaf with prominent red veins and an irregularly shaped margin.
It's the rounded tap root which is the edible part of this plant.
The globular root is an intense purple colour which can be a powerful dye, so be careful not to do your veggie gardening in your Sunday best.
Beautiful boiled, mashed, steamed or baked. Yum!