Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the most widely used vegetables in American kitchens today, even though some consumers are vocal about the fact they don’t find it appealing.
Broccoli is essentially a large edible flower that has not quite reached the bloom stage. The head, stalks and side-shoot florets are eaten both raw and cooked and have a flavor somewhat like its cousin, cabbage. It’s also related to kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
Although some cooks do enjoy them prepared in the manner of chard or kale, the broccoli’s nutritious, edible leaves are usually discarded in preparing broccoli for a meal. Home gardeners sometimes save them for soups and stews, and they’re sometimes available at farmers markets.
Its English name, broccoli, is derived from the Italian word broccolo, which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage."
Broccoli was developed from an ancient, wild cabbage native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Asia Minor.
Experts believe the Etruscans, a civilization known for their horticulture, first brought domesticated versions of it from Turkey to southern Italy sometime before the 1st century. The Etruscans developed Calabria broccoli, the compact heads we’re familiar with today.
Broccoli was often served during cena, an ancient Roman multi-course dinner reserved for the wealthy upper class. It was used to showcase status through exotic recipes and ingredients. Broccoli was served during the main course and was presented cooked, generally coated in spices and rich sauces.
Marcus Gavius Apicius, a wealthy epicure, is credited with recording some of the first broccoli recipes in the cookbook De Re Coquinaria. Many experts believe his servants and chefs were the main authors of the recipes, but Apicius was the face and host of the extravagant dinner parties, often paid by the Roman government to entertain foreign dignitaries.
Broccoli was introduced to France in the 16th century and to England in the 18th century, where it was initially known as Italian asparagus.
Thomas Jefferson grew broccoli in his Monticello garden in the United States sometime in the 18th century, but the vegetable did not become widely used in the New World until the arrival of Italian immigrants in the 19th century.
In the 1920s, Italian immigrants known as the D’Arrigo brothers planted the first commercial fields of broccoli in San Jose, California. The crops were shipped to Boston, and broccoli rapidly increased in popularity, establishing the vegetable as a commercial crop.
Today California remains the largest producer of broccoli in the United States, and the crop is sold domestically and exported to countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and Canada. Broccoli is also widely cultivated in India and China for domestic consumption and commercial export. It’s grown worldwide in home gardens.
Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse. Here‘s a USDA nutrition profile for one cup (91g) of raw, chopped broccoli:
Calories: 31
Fat: 0.3g
Sodium: 30mg
Carbohydrates: 6g
Fiber: 2.4g
Sugars: 1.5g
Protein: 2.5g
Broccoli has only a trace amount of fat and is cholesterol-free. It does contain a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids, in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Consuming two cups of broccoli delivers nearly 0.5 grams of this anti-inflammatory fatty acid.
Broccoli is bursting with vitamins and minerals. It's an excellent source of immune-boosting vitamin C, providing over 81mg, or about 135% of your daily needs. It is also an excellent source of vitamin K, important in bone health and wound healing. You'll consume 116% of your daily recommended intake in a one-cup serving of broccoli. It's also a very good source of the B vitamin folate, and a good source of vitamin A, manganese, potassium, and other B vitamins.
Broccoli is well-suited for both raw and cooked applications, including steaming, boiling, roasting, baking, frying, and sautéing. The heads, stems, and leaves are all edible. The heads and stems can be chopped and tossed fresh into salads, mixed with other ingredients into slaws, or served on appetizer plates with creamy sauces and dips.
Broccoli can also be battered and fried into tempura, lightly cooked and mixed into grain bowls, tossed into pasta, stir-fried with other vegetables, steamed and served as a tender side dish, or blanched and combined into rice and noodle dishes.
In addition to using the heads in larger pieces, cooked broccoli florets can be pureed into soups, stirred into risotto, or baked into quiches.
Unwashed, raw broccoli will keep 4 to 7 days when stored in the refrigerator, and once cooked, it will keep up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for 6 to 8 months.
