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Broccoli
Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea cauliflora
Family: Cruciferae
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Cabbages, in the broadest sense, have been cultivated since very early times. They are derived from a wild form native to central and western Europe, and western Asia. Some botanists ascribe these wild plants to the variety silvicola which grows on rocks. They are all included in the diffuse and polymorphic species Brassica oleracea of the Cruciferae (mustard family). Today, because of selections started many centuries ago, the cultivated forms differ greatly, not only from the original type, but also from one another. Cauliflora, commonly called Broccoli, with leaves less broad and thick than those of the cauliflower, and less tight floral peduncles, forming a more open head which expands like an umbrella. The use of cabbage became confined to Europe. The Jews did not know this plant, which is not mentioned in the Bible. It was highly regarded by the Romans. Broccoli, after the basal part and tougher leaves are removed, is boiled and then served with butter or a hollandaise sauce. Some of the various cultivars of broccoli are: De Cicco, Calbrese, Waltham 29 and Green Comet. Broccoli has the following composition: 15 - 16% solid residue, with 5 - 6% protein, 5% carbohydrates, no lipids, 1% ash and 43 - 44 calories per 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). It has almost twice as much nutritive value as Savoy cabbage. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]