A Giant Bundle Of Unopened Flowers | 10 Amazing Facts
Broccoli is a giant bundle of unopened flowers. In Italian, “broccoli” means “the flowering crest of a cabbage.” Yes, broccoli is a giant floret composed of countless little flowers. If the plant was left in the ground, the floret would continue maturing and explode into a beautiful abundance of yellow flowers before developing into seeds.
Origin:
The word broccoli comes from an Italian word broccolo meaning “flowered top of cabbage”, Italian immigrants first introduced broccoli to the United States in the 1800s. However, it did not become widely known until the 1920s.
The buds are tightly wrapped around the stalk, and the leaves are tender, sweet and bright green. Tender shoots and leaves have been eaten raw in salads or as a garnish. In Roman times, the stalk was peeled and eaten like celery. It has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. It’s good for you, too! One cup of chopped broccoli contains about one-half pound of nutritious stuff – 100 percent of your daily recommended Vitamin C intake, along with a healthy serving of calcium, potassium and Vitamin A.
This vegetable’s edible flower buds are high in lutein, sulforaphane and beta-carotene. It is also known to be a natural detoxifier.
Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family with large flower heads, stalks and small attached leaves that are eaten as a vegetable. It is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. It has large flower heads, usually dark green, arranged in a tree-like structure that emerges from thick stalks that are usually pale green in color. The mass of the ends of the flowers is surrounded by leaves. It resembles cauliflower, which is a separate but closely related cultivar group of the same Brassica species.
Facts about broccoli
- It is a member of the cabbage family.
- It is an annual plant, meaning it only lives one season.
- It is a good source of vitamins C and K.
- It is also a good source of dietary fiber, potassium, and iron.
- It is a cool weather crop and grows best when temperatures are between 60-75 degrees.
- It is a low-calorie food with only 31 calories per cup.
- It is believed to have originated in Italy.
- The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means arm or branch.
- There are three main types of broccoli: Calabrese, which is the most common, Sprouting, and Purple.
- It can be eaten raw or cooked and is used in many dishes.