Cauliflower

In France, dishes in which cauliflower figures are dubbed “Du Barry,” in honor of the countess who was a favorite of Louis XV. Countries where vegetable cuisine reigns, notably India, treat cauliflower as royalty.

But in the United States, cauliflower is barely bourgeois—never aristocratic—primarily because it is carelessly chosen and cooked in ways that fail to enhance its mild sweetness, creamy pallor, and delicate crunch. The unenlightened say that cauliflower is “strong” and compare it to broccoli—a fair comparison botanically, if not in terms of taste (the two share genus and species). But I’d lay odds that those who consider it strong have never tasted truly fresh or properly cooked cauliflower, an elegant vegetable.