Cabbages

Magnolias

• General & History
• Varieties
• Health Considerations - amd nutrition
• Links - to information on Cabbages

Most cabbages have small clusters of flowers on fleshy stems, but plant breeders have coaxed some into producing huge densely packed flower heads which are highly edible when immature. If they are allowed to mature and the flowers open they become bitter.

Broccoli - [Brassica oleracea Group Italica]
Broccoli was probably known in Roman times and continued to be developed by growers to produce the large flower heads we know today. These heads are harvested and eaten well before maturity because they will open into yellow flowers and become bitter. Broccoli stems are also quite edible, though older and tougher ones may need to be peeled. Like other cabbages, broccoli is high in fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants and is suspected of significent anticancer benefits.

Brocciflower - [Brassica oleracea Group ????]
In appearance similar to Broccoflower this is an artificial genetically engineered cross between sexually incompatible Cauliflower and Broccoli. Denounced as "Frankenfood" it has not been really commercially successful but is still found in supermarkets now and then. If you are concerned, check the spelling - "o" is OK.

Broccoflower - [Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis??]
Is it a cauliflower or a broccoli? It's origin is uncertain so plant geneticists aren't sure. One thing is certain, it's not a cross between a cauliflower and a broccoli because the two are sexually imcompatible (see Brocciflower). The "curd" is medium green and a bit looser than regular cauliflower. Taste is considered somewhat lighter and sweeter than regular cauliflower.

Cauliflower - [Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis]
This cabbage grows a huge cluster of flower buds that never mature. Called the "curd", this cluster may be white, lime green or orange depending on variety and how it's grown. For white varieties, leaves are tied over the curd to protect it from the sun so it will remain white and mild in flavor. The orange variety is actually a cross between a wild swamp growing mutant found in Canada and a regular white cauliflower - it has many times the vitamin A content of white cauliflower. While cauliflower curd is sterile and will never mature, a plant left to grow will eventually develop side branches with viable flowers and seed, which is how cauliflower is propegated. Cauliflower leaves are used in some cuisines, but are never available in supermarkets or even farmer's markets, at least not around here.

Purple Cauliflower - [Brassica oleracea Group Italica]
It looks like a cauliflower but the ISHS says it's a broccoli (see under Romanesco). In any case it's got a case of anthocyanin pigments, an antioxidant found also in red cabbage and red wine.

Romanesco Cauliflower - [Fractal Broccoli, Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis]
This flowering cabbage is a stunning demonstration that nature encodes large amounts of genetic information as mathematical fractals. Although first reported from Italy in the 16th century, acceptance of this variety has been held back by a fierce dispute as to whether it is a broccoli or a cauliflower. The ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) has published a study the abstract for which states, "Multivariate analyses are presented which support the view that cultivars grouped within the form Purple Cauliflower should be placed in the same botanical variety as Broccoli/Calabrese (var. italica) and those of Romanesco with Cauliflower (var. botrytis)". So there, now you can eat it - but take care, it reacts very poorly to over-cooking, steam until just tender.

Both broccoli and cauliflower are considered highly nutritious and packed with vitamins, minerals, and a very high antioxidant content. They are considered to offer some of the most effective anti-cancer benefits known.

• A1 - Brassicaceae Genera - Wikipedia.