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Friday 10 March 2023

Broccoli ... did you know !

Some people love it, some hate it, and some hate it so much that they try and ban it altogether. And yes, we’re talking about broccoli!

The broccoli plant is a distant cousin of the common cabbage as it also belongs to the Brassicaceae family. With broccoli, though, the main edible parts are actually the stalk and flowers instead of the leaves (although you can eat them too).


Broccoli was highly valued by the Romans.
The history of broccoli goes back much further than you’d think. Like many other vegetables we eat today, broccoli was cultivated from a mix of different plants and then selectively bred to become the vegetable we know today.

This vegetable’s history goes back to the Etruscans, an ancient Italian civilization that predated the Roman Empire. The Etruscan people cultivated the vegetable sometime around the 6th Century BC. The Romans adopted many aspects of Etruscan culture, including their love for broccoli.

England called it Italian asparagus.
As previously mentioned, broccoli is part of the same family as cabbage, a large family that includes cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, and kohlrabi. Despite this, when the vegetable first made it to England, it was instead associated with asparagus.

In fact, despite being a favoured food of the Romans, it seems that it took a long time to spread further than Italy. The earliest report of it in France, for example, is as late as the 1500s!

More than 200 years later, it was still relatively unknown in England, with it being called “Italian asparagus” in a popular gardening dictionary.

It wasn’t until the 1920s that broccoli became common in the US.
One of the first records we have relating to broccoli in the US goes back to the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had a bit of a 'green thumb', and as such, he would frequently share seeds with some of his friends over in Europe. One such packet of seeds that he received were broccoli seeds, which he noted sowing at his estate in Virginia on May 27, 1767.

It wasn’t until much later in the 1920s that broccoli became a common sight when Italian migrants brought it over and regularly consumed them. Even then, it was almost exclusively eaten by Italian migrants and their descendants for decades before becoming a bit more mainstream.

George H. W. Bush banned broccoli on Air Force One.
Some people hate broccoli, and then there are people that hate broccoli so much that they publicly declare that they never want to see the vegetable ever again.

Believe it or not, that man was the 41st president of the United States of America, George H. W. Bush. While in a press conference, Bush (apparently) stated “I do not like broccoli, and I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it, and I’m president of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

He made this declaration when asked why he had banned the vegetable from all Air Force One flights.

Broccoli is really good for your health!
First things first, if you know how to cook broccoli well, it can be absolutely delicious. Most people who dislike it, probably including George H. W. Bush, have simply only ever been fed it in an over-cooked mushy gross state.

The truth is that broccoli is incredibly good for you, so good that the term “superfood” is quite often thrown around in association with it. It’s high in protein, fibre, vitamin C and is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, and calcium, among many others. It’s also full of antioxidants, is good for your digestion, and is even claimed to help prevent cancer!
Words above taken from article here

Related Broccoli Posts
Don't Throw Those Broccoli Stalks Away - read it here
Riced Broccoli Recipe: Instantly Up Your Fibre Intake : Low Carb / Keto - read it here
Pork Chops with broccoli mash - low carb recipe - read it here
Broccoli and Chickpea Frittata - read it here

~ enjoy your day ~

This blog offers a wide variety of articles and recipe ideas, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

35 comments:

William Kendall said...

I like broccoli.

Tom said...

...I love it.

happyone said...

I didn't know all that about broccoli but I do know I like it!!

My name is Erika. said...

That's so interesting. I love how even our favorite or least favorite veggies have such interesting pasts. I like broccoli by the way, especially chopped fresh in salad. Happy weekend to you both.

Lee said...

I love broccoli. How silly are those who want/ed it banned. They should be banned...or just don't purchase it! Simple! :)

J.P. Alexander said...

A mi me gusta el brócoli. Te mando un beso.

bobbie said...

The stench of it nauseating to me; never mind the disgusting taste!!
No thanks!

peppylady (Dora) said...

I do like it.
Coffee is on and stay safe

Christine said...

Thanks for the information.

aussie aNNie said...

I love this vegie, use it often

Catarina said...

When we assemble a raw vegetable platter, broccoli usually is one the veggies. Some will blanch it first. I never do that. Love raw vegetables of any kind.

Catarina said...

Forgot to mention that I learned a lot about broccoli tonight! ; )

linda said...

Very interesting, I love broccoli it's one of my favourite vegetables.

Laura. M said...

Gracia siempre por la información. Me gusta más la coliflor que el broccoli.
Buen fin de semana para Todos.
Un abrazo.

NatureFootstep said...

I´m not a fan, but my sister is :)

eileeninmd said...

Hello,
I like broccoli but it does not like me!
Have a great weekend.

Chatty Crone said...

I love broccoli!

CJ Kennedy said...

I like broccoli. Himself is not a fan. As an addendum to Pres. Bush's broccoli story. When broccoli farmers heard the President wouldn't eat broccoli. They had a truckload delivered and dropped off at the White House fearing kids all over the country would follow the President's lead. 😺

Conniecrafter said...

I am one of those that don't care for it, especially cooked, I would rather it eat raw. But hubby sure does love it!

Donna said...

I didn't know it was related to cabbage!
hugs
Donna

Teresa said...

A mí me gusta mucho, todas las verduras de la familia también. Un abrazo.

Jeanie said...

I try to like broccoli. It's work. But infinitely better than cauliflower.

carol l mckenna said...

Wonderful info about broccoli ~ I loved it until recently ~ gaseous for me now ~ aging is such fun ~ LOL

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Steve said...

I have been eating more vegatebles recently but i never liked broccoli alot. i do taste little of it only when someone else served me that in their house.

Magaly Guerrero said...

I had no idea. The add things certain people do. Banning broccoli! Really?

Pam said...

I know that stuff is good for you but I am coming out of a funk with it. I think I got burned out with fixing my kids broccoli. But recently I have started to fix it and enjoy it...

angela said...

I love broccoli. During the winter here I grow lots of it. Along with cabbage and cauliflower
It’s pretty much my main vegetable intake during the season.
I’ve I’m lucky I get to freeze the excess for early summer, when the lull between cropping means the garden isn’t as
Prolific

Steve Parker, M.D. said...

Whether one likes or hates broccoli may be entirely genetic. Some folks can taste the bitterness, others cannot. That's one demonstration I remember from biology 101 class from my freshman year at U. of Oklahoma in 1973.

"Different populations vary widely on how many people can taste the bitterness of broccoli - more specifically, glucosinolate compounds, which chemically resemble phenylthiocarbamide (PTC). In England the non-taster percentage (or those that can’t taste PTC at all) is 31.5%, but for Native Americans it’s a crazy 98%."

That quote's from SBS.com:
https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/science/humans/article/2016/06/23/your-hatred-broccoli-may-not-be-just-your-head

---Steve

Debbie said...

i love broccoli raw, with dip. i do not like it cooked, at all...not even in soup. i should probably try to eat more!! the hubs love it but he will eat anything!!

Anne (cornucopia) said...

I love broccoli, but I know some people hate it.

Lowcarb team member said...

REPLY TO Steve Parker MD

Many thanks for your comment and very interesting link to the article
'Here's the reason why so many people really hate broccoli'

I certainly enjoyed the read and detail it contained.
In case others missed your link I'll repeat it below

https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/science/humans/article/2016/06/23/your-hatred-broccoli-may-not-be-just-your-head

All the best Jan

Creations By Cindy said...

Oh I love it and anyway it is used in meals. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

Divers and Sundry said...

I like broccoli fresh or steamed or cooked in casserole or other dishes.

Bill said...

One of my favorites, I love broccoli.

https://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com said...

I had some with my dinner today. I eat it regularly.