Watch This Austrian Orchestra Play Music with Instruments Made Entirely Out of Vegetables

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If you thought the only thing that you could do with fresh produce was whip up a mean salad or a vegetable casserole, then you've clearly never considered a carrot or a cucumber's musical potential. That is where The Vegetable Orchestra comes in.

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An Austrian musical ensemble that has been around for about 18 years, the Vegetable Orchestra is all about playing sweet symphonies with nothing but instruments made entirely of vegetables. It all starts with a trip to the local market where members of the orchestra buy all the vegetables that they'll need to make up their collection of instruments. The vegetable haul is then broken down into three basic instrument categories: there's ready-made instruments that can be played upon purchase (think things like the pepper); then there are the "simple" instruments that can be played after nothing more than a few simple slices (this would be something like an eggplant clapper); and, finally, there are the "complex" instruments that basically work like the real deal (like a pumpkin that mimics the roll of a bass drum or a hollowed out cucumber "trumpet" with a carrot mouthpiece).

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The process of actually making all the instruments for the 10-person musical group generally takes between 2-3 hours, during which time the musicians simultaneously cook up a rich vegetable soup with all the extra vegetables and vegetable leftovers. The soup is then shared with the audience after each show. Because, after all, watching a bunch of musicians play their leeks like violins and their carrots like xylophones can have a way of building up your appetite.

Thanks to our friends at the Great Big Story for this illuminating video.