Broccoli

Broccoli is paradoxical. It is identified in American consumer surveys as the vegetable most often eaten to promote good health, yet it is these same protective factors (particularly glucosinolates) that make broccoli bitter tasting and widely disliked. Unopened flower heads on thick stalks form broccoli (Brassica oleracea), which is botanically undifferentiated from cauliflower and is similar to cabbage sprouts. It is also related to brussels sprouts, turnips, and other cool-weather vegetables, all members of the Cruciferae family. Although its origins are lost to history, broccoli has long been associated with Italy. It was prized by the Romans, and the term “broccoli” is derived from the Italian word brocco, meaning “little branches.” The sprouting type, often called Italian broccoli, is most common, though a strain with a cauliflower-like head is also available.