Romanesco broccoli
Encyclopedia
Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, is an edible
flower of the species Brassica oleracea
, and a variant form of cauliflower
.
(as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century. It is sometimes called broccoflower
, but that name is also applied to green-curded cauliflower cultivar
s.
Romanesco broccoli resembles a cauliflower, but is of a light green color and the inflorescence
(the bud) has an approximate self-similar character, with the branched meristem
s making a logarithmic spiral
. In this sense the broccoli's shape approximates a natural fractal
; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another logarithmic spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at several smaller levels.
The vegetable is rich in vitamin C
, vitamin K
, fibre
, and carotenoids.
. Romanesco broccoli has a milder flavor, more creamy and nutty, and less bitter, than conventional broccoli and cauliflower.
in nature. The pattern is only an approximate fractal since the pattern eventually terminates when the feature size becomes sufficiently small.
In computer graphics, its pattern has been modeled as a recursive helical arrangement of cones.
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,...
flower 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...
, and a variant form 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...
.
History
Romanesco broccoli was first documented in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century. It is sometimes called broccoflower
Broccoflower
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 of the plant....
, but that name is also applied to green-curded cauliflower 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.
Description
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...
(the bud) has an approximate self-similar character, with the branched 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 making a logarithmic spiral
Logarithmic spiral
A logarithmic spiral, equiangular spiral or growth spiral is a special kind of spiral curve which often appears in nature. The logarithmic spiral was first described by Descartes and later extensively investigated by Jacob Bernoulli, who called it Spira mirabilis, "the marvelous...
. In this sense the broccoli's shape approximates a natural 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...
; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another logarithmic spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at several smaller levels.
The vegetable is rich in 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...
, vitamin K
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is a group of structurally similar, fat soluble vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins required for blood coagulation and in metabolic pathways in bone and other tissue. They are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives...
, fibre
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 carotenoids.
Cooking
Although in Italy there are a number of recipes dedicated to Romanesco broccoli, in the rest of the world it is usually prepared like conventional broccoli. Like conventional broccoli, overcooking Romanesco will result in a texture some people find unpleasant. The texture is more tender than cauliflower, making it suited to raw use as cruditésCrudités
Crudités are traditional French appetizers comprising sliced or whole raw vegetables which are sometimes dipped in a vinaigrette or another dipping sauce...
. Romanesco broccoli has a milder flavor, more creamy and nutty, and less bitter, than conventional broccoli and cauliflower.
Fractal pattern
The head of Romanesco broccoli is a visually striking example of an approximate fractalFractal
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...
in nature. The pattern is only an approximate fractal since the pattern eventually terminates when the feature size becomes sufficiently small.
In computer graphics, its pattern has been modeled as a recursive helical arrangement of cones.