Broccoflower
Encyclopedia
Broccoflower refers to either of two edible
plants of the species Brassica oleracea
with light green heads. The edible portion is the immature flower head (inflorescence) of the plant.
There are two forms of Brassica oleracea that may be referred to as broccoflower, both of which are considered cultivar
s of cauliflower
(Brassica oleracea
var. botrytis) because they have inflorescence
meristem
s rather than flower buds when harvested. One is shaped like regular cauliflower, the other has a spiky appearance. They share a curd
color that is a similar hue to that of broccoli
.
, but the curd color
is lime-green. There are several cultivars of green cauliflower on the market, with the first release being 'Green Ball' with parentage of both broccoli and cauliflower. The California firm, Tanimura & Antle, trademarked the word "Broccoflower" for the green cauliflower they market.
Green cauliflower is higher in protein, at 2.95%, than either white cauliflower, 1.92%, or broccoli, 2.82%. And unlike broccoli, cauliflower has all essential amino acids in at least ideal proportions.
The second form is Romanesco broccoli
, which is characterised by the striking and unusual fractal
patterns of its flower head. It has a yellow or vibrant green curd color
.
Broccoli and cauliflower are closely related and fully cross
compatible. The cross is easily made by hand pollination
or natural pollinator
s. Some crosses within and between these types require embryo culture after the initial cross. A full range of intermediate types can be produced in later generations of such a cross, of which green-curded cauliflower is one.
Broccoflowers are generally considered to have a milder and slightly sweeter flavor
than their close cabbage-family relatives.
, broccoflower is highly nutritious. One cup of broccoflower florets provides 20 calorie
s, nearly two grams of protein
, four grams of carbohydrate
s, two grams of fiber
and is an excellent source of vitamin C
.
Eating
Eating is the ingestion of food to provide for all organisms their nutritional needs, particularly for energy and growth. Animals and other heterotrophs must eat in order to survive: carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants, omnivores consume a mixture of both plant and animal matter,...
plants of the species Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of salt and lime and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both...
with light green heads. The edible portion is the immature flower head (inflorescence) of the plant.
There are two forms of Brassica oleracea that may be referred to as broccoflower, both of which are considered cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s of cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
(Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of salt and lime and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both...
var. botrytis) because they have inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
meristem
Meristem
A meristem is the tissue in most plants consisting of undifferentiated cells , found in zones of the plant where growth can take place....
s rather than flower buds when harvested. One is shaped like regular cauliflower, the other has a spiky appearance. They share a curd
Curd
Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...
color that is a similar hue to that of broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
.
Green cauliflower
The first form of broccoflower has the physical attributes of a white cauliflowerCauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
, but the curd color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
is lime-green. There are several cultivars of green cauliflower on the market, with the first release being 'Green Ball' with parentage of both broccoli and cauliflower. The California firm, Tanimura & Antle, trademarked the word "Broccoflower" for the green cauliflower they market.
Green cauliflower is higher in protein, at 2.95%, than either white cauliflower, 1.92%, or broccoli, 2.82%. And unlike broccoli, cauliflower has all essential amino acids in at least ideal proportions.
Romanesco broccoli
Romanesco broccoli
Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea, and a variant form of cauliflower.-History:Romanesco broccoli was first documented in Italy in the sixteenth century...
, which is characterised by the striking and unusual fractal
Fractal
A fractal has been defined as "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-size copy of the whole," a property called self-similarity...
patterns of its flower head. It has a yellow or vibrant green curd color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
.
Broccoli and cauliflower are closely related and fully cross
Crossbreed
A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention to create offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing...
compatible. The cross is easily made by hand pollination
Hand pollination
Hand pollination is a technique used when natural, or open pollination is insufficient or undesirable. The most common techniques are for crops such as cucurbits, which may exhibit poor pollination by fruit abortion, fruit deformity or poor maturation...
or natural pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s. Some crosses within and between these types require embryo culture after the initial cross. A full range of intermediate types can be produced in later generations of such a cross, of which green-curded cauliflower is one.
Broccoflowers are generally considered to have a milder and slightly sweeter flavor
Flavor
Flavor or flavour is the sensory impression of a food or other substance, and is determined mainly by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The "trigeminal senses", which detect chemical irritants in the mouth and throat as well as temperature and texture, are also very important to the overall...
than their close cabbage-family relatives.
Nutritional information
Like other members of Brassica oleraceaBrassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of salt and lime and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both...
, broccoflower is highly nutritious. One cup of broccoflower florets provides 20 calorie
Calorie
The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
s, nearly two grams of protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
, four grams of carbohydrate
Carbohydrate
A carbohydrate is an organic compound with the empirical formula ; that is, consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a hydrogen:oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 . However, there are exceptions to this. One common example would be deoxyribose, a component of DNA, which has the empirical...
s, two grams of fiber
Dietary fiber
Dietary fiber, dietary fibre, or sometimes roughage is the indigestible portion of plant foods having two main components:* soluble fiber that is readily fermented in the colon into gases and physiologically active byproducts, and* insoluble fiber that is metabolically inert, absorbing water as it...
and is an excellent source of vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
.