While for a long time parsnips were pushed out of the way by potatoes and carrots, they are back and popular in the trendy kitchens. The parsnips cultivated in the Rhineland are available until spring, according to the Association of Rhineland fruit and vegetable farmers in Bonn.
A parsnip looks a bit like a large parsley root, a close relation. But the smell and taste of the vegetable is very different, parsnips smell like carrots and have a sweet taste. They are one of the few vegetables that are improved by the frost. Directly after the first frost, they are milder and sweeter.
Source: RLV