Cauliflower
| Cauliflower | |
|---|---|
Mediterranean, South Asia | |
| Cultivar group members | Many; see text. |
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables cultivated from the species Brassica oleracea in the genus Brassica, which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family.
An annual plant that reproduces by seed, the cauliflower head is composed of a (generally) white inflorescence meristem. Cauliflower heads resemble those in broccoli, which differs in having flower buds as the edible portion.
Typically, only the head is eaten; the edible white flesh is sometimes called "curd".
Description
There are four major groups of cauliflower.[1]
- Italian: This specimen is diverse in appearance, biennial, and annual in type. This group includes white, Romanesco, and various brown, green, purple, and yellow cultivars. This type is the ancestral form from which the others were derived.
- Northern European annuals: Used in Europe and North America for summer and fall harvest, it was developed in Germany in the 18th century and includes the old cultivars Erfurt and Snowball.
- Northwest European biennial: Used in Europe for winter and early spring harvest, developed in France in the 19th century and includes the old cultivars Angers and Roscoff.
- Asian: A tropical cauliflower used in China and India, it was developed in India during the 19th century from the now-abandoned Cornish type[2] and includes old varieties Early Benaras and Early Patna.
Varieties
There are hundreds of historic and current commercial varieties used around the world. A comprehensive list of about 80 North American varieties is maintained at North Carolina State University.[3]
Colors
- White
- White cauliflower is the most common color of cauliflower, having a contrasting white head (also called "curd", having a similar appearance to cheese curd),[4] surrounded by green leaves.[4]
- Orange
- Orange cauliflower contains Cultivars include 'Cheddar' and 'Orange Bouquet.'
- Green
- Green cauliflower in the B. oleracea Botrytis Group is sometimes called broccoflower. It is available in the normal curd (head) shape and with a fractal spiral curd called Romanesco broccoli. Both have been commercially available in the U.S. and Europe since the early 1990s. Green-headed varieties include 'Alverda,' 'Green Goddess,' and 'Vorda.' Romanesco varieties include 'Minaret' and 'Veronica.'
- Purple
- The purple color in this cauliflower is caused by the presence of anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments that are found in many other plants and plant-based products, such as red cabbage and red wine.[6] Varieties include 'Graffiti' and 'Purple Cape.'
- In Great Britain and southern Italy, a broccoli with tiny flower buds is sold as a vegetable under the name "purple cauliflower"; it is not the same as standard cauliflower with a purple head.
-
White and green cauliflower -
GreenRomanesco cauliflower -
Orange cauliflower -
Purple cauliflower
Phytochemicals
Cauliflower contains several non-nutrient phytochemicals common in the cabbage family that are under preliminary research for their potential properties, including isothiocyanates and glucosinolates.[7] Boiling reduces the levels of cauliflower glucosinolates, while other cooking methods, such as steaming, microwaving, and stir frying, have no significant effect on glucosinolate levels.[8]
Etymology
The word "cauliflower" derives from the Italian cavolfiore, meaning "cabbage flower".[9] The ultimate origin of the name is from the Latin words caulis (cabbage) and flōs (flower).[10]
Cultivation
History
Cauliflower is the result of selective breeding and likely arose in the Mediterranean region, possibly from broccoli.[11]
Pliny the Elder included cyma among cultivated plants he described in Natural History: "Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma"[12] ("Of all the varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is cyma").[13] Pliny's description likely refers to the flowering heads of an earlier cultivated variety of Brassica oleracea.[14]
In the
It is thought to have been introduced into Italy from Cyprus or the east coast of the Mediterranean around 1490, and then spread to other European countries in the following centuries.[11]
Production
| Cauliflower production – 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Country | Production (millions of tonnes) |
 China |
9.5 |
 India |
8.8 |
 United States |
1.3 |
 Spain |
0.7 |
 Mexico |
0.7 |
 Italy |
0.4 |
| World | 25.5 |
| Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations[22]
| |
In 2020, global production of cauliflowers (combined for production reports with broccoli) was 25.5 million tonnes, led by China and India which, combined, had 72% of the world total.[22] Secondary producers, having 0.4–1.3 million tonnes annually, were the United States, Spain, Mexico, and Italy.[22]
Horticulture
Cauliflower is relatively difficult to grow compared to cabbage, with common problems such as an underdeveloped head and poor curd quality.[23]
Climate
Because the weather is a limiting factor for producing cauliflower, the plant grows best in moderate daytime temperatures 21–29 °C (70–85 °F), with plentiful sun and moist soil conditions high in organic matter and sandy soils.[4] The earliest maturity possible for cauliflower is 7 to 12 weeks from transplanting.[23] In the northern hemisphere, fall season plantings in July may enable harvesting before autumn frost.[4]
Long periods of sun exposure in hot summer weather may cause cauliflower heads to discolor with a red-purple hue.[4]
Seeding and transplanting
Transplantable cauliflowers can be produced in containers such as flats, hotbeds, or fields. In soil that is loose, well-drained, and fertile, field seedlings are shallow-planted 1 cm (1⁄2 in) and thinned by ample space – about 12 plants per 30 cm (1 ft).[4] Ideal growing temperatures are about 18 °C (65 °F) when seedlings are 25 to 35 days old.[4] Applications of fertilizer to developing seedlings begin when leaves appear, usually with a starter solution weekly.
Transplanting to the field normally begins in late spring and may continue until mid-summer. Row spacing is about 38–46 cm (15–18 in). Rapid vegetative growth after transplanting may benefit from such procedures as avoiding spring frosts, using starter solutions high in phosphorus, irrigating weekly, and applying fertilizer.[4]
Disorders, pests, and diseases
The most important disorders affecting cauliflower quality are a hollow stem, stunted head growth or buttoning, ricing,
Harvesting
When cauliflower is mature, heads appear clear white, compact, and 15–20 cm (6–8 in) in diameter, and should be cooled shortly after harvest.[4] Forced air cooling to remove heat from the field during hot weather may be needed for optimal preservation. Short-term storage is possible using cool, high-humidity storage conditions.[4]
Pollination
Many species of blowflies, including Calliphora vomitoria, are known pollinators of cauliflower.[24]
Uses
Culinary
Cauliflower heads can be roasted, grilled, boiled, fried, steamed, pickled, or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are typically removed, leaving only the florets (the edible "curd" or "head"). The leaves are also edible but are often discarded.[25]
Cauliflower can be used as a low-calorie,
Nutrition
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 104 kJ (25 kcal) |
5 g | |
| Sugars | 1.9 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2 g |
0.3 g | |
1.9 g | |
Niacin (B3) | 3% 0.507 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 13% 0.667 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 11% 0.184 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 14% 57 μg |
| Vitamin C | 54% 48.2 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1% 0.08 mg |
| Vitamin K | 13% 15.5 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 2% 22 mg |
| Iron | 2% 0.42 mg |
| Magnesium | 4% 15 mg |
| Manganese | 7% 0.155 mg |
| Phosphorus | 4% 44 mg |
| Potassium | 10% 299 mg |
| Sodium | 1% 30 mg |
| Zinc | 2% 0.27 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 92 g |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[30] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[31] | |
Raw cauliflower is 92% water, 5%
In culture
Cauliflower has been noticed by mathematicians for its distinct fractal dimension,[32][33] calculated to be roughly 2.8.[34][35] One of the fractal properties of cauliflower is that every branch, or "module", is similar to the entire cauliflower. Another quality, also present in other plant species, is that the angle between "modules", as they become more distant from the center, is 360 degrees divided by the golden ratio.[36]
The fancied resemblance of the shape of a boxer's ear to a cauliflower gave rise to the term "cauliflower ear".
See also
References
- S2CID 37686274.
- S2CID 37487958.
- ^ Farnham, M. (2007). "Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America:Cauliflower". Retrieved 19 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Vincent A. Fritz; Carl J. Rosen; Michelle A. Grabowski; William D. Hutchison; Roger L. Becker; Cindy Tong; Jerry A. Wright & Terry T. Nennich (2017). "Growing broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower in Minnesota". University of Minnesota Extension, Garden – Growing Vegetables. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- S2CID 88716744.
- ^ Chiu, L.; Prior, R.L.; Wu, X.; Li, L. (16 July 2005). "Toward Identification of the Candidate Gene Controlling Anthocyanin Accumulation in Purple Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis)". American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting. p. 628.
- PMID 24987290.
- S2CID 25728864.
- ^ "cauliflower". WordReference.com Dictionary of English. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
- ^ "Cauliflower: definition". Reference.com. 2006. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-387-30443-4.
- ^ Pliny (the Elder) (1841). Weise, C.H. (ed.). Historiae Naturalis Libri XX (in Latin). p. 249.
- ^ Rackham, H., ed. (1949). "XXXV". Pliny's Natural History. Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ^ Crozier, Arthur Alger (1891). The Cauliflower. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Register Publishing Co. p. 12.
- ^ "Cabbage Flowers for Food". Aggie Horticulture. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- PMID 6337782.
- ^ Jon Gregerson, Good Earth (Portland: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, 1990) p.41
- ISBN 0-684-81857-4.
- ISBN 0-684-81857-4.
- ISBN 1-4443-0514-X.
- ISBN 978-81-89422-41-7.
- ^ a b c "Production/Crops, Quantities by Country for Cauliflowers and Broccoli for 2016". Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Statistics Division (FAOSTAT). 2016. Archived from the original on 22 November 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ a b c "Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Other Brassica Crops". Massachusetts: Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, College of Natural Sciences, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ISSN 1439-0434.
- ISBN 978-3-642-73520-2.
- ^ Gajanan, Mahita (14 July 2017). "Why Cauliflower Is the New 'It' Vegetable". Time. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ Koman, Tess (15 July 2019). "Why Is Cauliflower Still Literally Everywhere?". Delish. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ O'Connor, Anahad (8 June 2018). "The Ascension of Cauliflower". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ Brzostowski, Cindy (19 March 2021). "As Cauliflower's Popularity Holds, Breadcrumb Alternative Cauli Crunch Enters The Scene". Forbes. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- )
- ^ Walker, John. (2005-03-22) Fractal Food. Fourmilab.ch. Retrieved on 2013-09-03.
- ^ Description of the Julia sets of the cabbage fractal. Iwriteiam.nl. Retrieved on 2013-09-03.
- Bibcode:2004cond.mat..9763K.
- arXiv:cond-mat/0411597.
- ^ "Romanesco cauliflower is a striking example of fractals". The Washington Post.
Further reading
- S. R. Sharma; Praveen K. Singh; Veronique Chable; S. K. Tripathi (2004). "A Review of Hybrid Cauliflower Development". Journal of New Seeds. 6 (2–3): 151. S2CID 85136416.
External links
