Romanesco broccoli
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Romanesco |
|---|
 Romanesco broccoli, showing self-similar form |
| Species |
| Brassica oleracea |
| Cultivar group |
| Botrytis cultivar group |
Romanesco broccoli is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea and a variant form of cauliflower. Romanesco broccoli was first documented in Italy (as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century. It is sometimes called broccoflower, but that name is also applied to green-curded cauliflower cultivars. It is also known as coral broccoli. It is rich in vitamin C, fiber, and carotenoids.
The vegetable resembles a cauliflower, but is of a light green color and the inflorescence (the bud) has an approximate self-similar character, with the branched meristems making a logarithmic spiral. These odd characteristics are often a delight of math-minded persons, who dubbed the vegetable terms like "fractal food".
[edit] 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 normal broccoli. Like normal 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 crudités.
