Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var.italica) is an edible green plant in thecabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genusBrassica) whose largeflowering head,stalk and small associatedleaves are eaten as avegetable. Broccoli is classified in theItalicacultivar group of the speciesBrassica oleracea. Broccoli has largeflower heads, or florets, usually dark green, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thickstalk, which is usually light green. Leaves surround the mass of flower heads. Broccoli resemblescauliflower, a different but closely related cultivar group of the sameBrassica species.
Rapini, sometimes called "broccoli rabe", is a distinct species from broccoli, forming similar but smaller heads, and is actually a type ofturnip (Brassica rapa).[4]
Broccoli plants in a nurseryClose-ups of broccoli florets (click to enlarge)
Taxonomy
Brassica oleracea var.italica was described in 1794 byJoseph Jakob von Plenck inIcones Plantarum Medicinalium 6:29, t. 534.[5] Like all the otherbrassicas, broccoli was developed from the wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. oleracea), also calledcolewort or field cabbage.
Etymology
The wordbroccoli, first used in the17th century, comes from the Italian plural ofbroccolo, which means "the flowering crest of acabbage", and is the diminutive form ofbrocco, meaning "small nail" or "sprout".[6]
History
Broccoli resulted from the breeding oflandraceBrassica crops in the northern Mediterranean starting in about the sixth century BCE.[7] Broccoli has its origins in primitive cultivars grown in theRoman Empire and was most likelyimproved viaartificial selection in the southernItalian Peninsula or inSicily.[8][9][10] Broccoli was spread to northern Europe by the 18th century and brought to North America in the 19th century by Italian immigrants.[9] After the Second World War, the breeding of theUnited States andJapaneseF1 hybrids increased yields, quality, growth speed, and regional adaptation, which produced the cultivars commonly grown since then: 'Premium Crop', 'Packman', and 'Marathon'.[9]
Description
Broccoli flower
Broccoli is anannualcruciferous plant which can grow up to 60–90 cm (24–35 in) tall.[11]
Broccoliinflorescence grows at the end of a central, edible stem and is dark green.[11] Violet, yellow, or even white heads have been created, but these varieties are rare. The flowers are yellow with four petals.
The growth season for broccoli is 14–15 weeks. Broccoli is collected by hand immediately after the head is fully formed yet the flowers are still in their bud stage. The plant develops numerous small "heads" from the lateral shoots which can be harvested later.
Varieties
There are three commonly grown types of broccoli.[9] The most familiar isCalabrese broccoli, often referred to simply as "broccoli", named afterCalabria in Italy. It has large 10-to-20-centimetre (4–8 in) green heads and thick stalks. It is a cool-season annual crop.Sprouting broccoli (white or purple) has a larger number of heads with many thin stalks.[12]Purple cauliflower orviolet cauliflower is a type of broccoli grown inEurope and North America. It has a head shaped like cauliflower but consists of many tiny flower buds. Sometimes, but not always, it has a purple cast to the tips of the flower buds. Purple cauliflower may also be white, red, green, or other colors.[13]
Beneforté is a variety of broccoli containing 2–3 times moreglucoraphanin and produced by crossing broccoli with a wildBrassica variety,Brassica oleracea varvillosa.[14]
Other cultivar groups ofBrassica oleracea includecabbage (Capitata Group),cauliflower andRomanesco broccoli (Botrytis Group),kale (Acephala Group),collard (Viridis Group),kohlrabi (Gongylodes Group),Brussels sprouts (Gemmifera Group), andkai-lan (Alboglabra Group).[15] As these groups are the same species, they readily hybridize: for example,broccolini or "Tenderstem broccoli" is a cross between broccoli andkai-lan.[16] Broccoli cultivars form the genetic basis of the "tropical cauliflowers" commonly grown in South and Southeastern Asia, although they produce a more cauliflower-like head in warmer conditions.[17][9]
The majority of broccoli cultivars are cool-weather crops that grow poorly in hot summer weather. Broccoli grows best in an average daily temperature range of 54–68 °F (12–20 °C).[19] When the cluster of flowers (also referred to as a "head") appears in the plant center, the cluster is generally green.[19] Garden pruners or shears are used to cut the head about 25 mm (1 in) from the tip.[19]
The growth of the broccoli head is temperature dependent, with higher temperatures leading to poorer head formation, while growth slows below 41 °F (5 °C).[19] The specific response of broccoli to long-term heat-stress conditions, such as may occur withclimate change, remain undetermined.[20][better source needed]
Broccoli is harvested before the flowers on the head bloom in a yellow color.[19] Broccoli cannot be harvested using machines, but rather is hand-harvested.[21]
Production
In 2024, world production of broccoli (combined withcauliflowers) was 27 milliontonnes, withChina andIndia together accounting for 73% of the total (table). Secondary producers, each having about one million tonnes or less annually, were theUnited States,Mexico, andSpain.
In the United States, broccoli is grown year-round inCalifornia – which produced 92% of the crop nationally – with 95% of the total crop produced for fresh sales in 2018.[22]
Raw broccoli is 89% water, 7%carbohydrates, 3%protein, and contains negligiblefat (table). A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference amount of raw broccoli provides 141 kilojoules (34 kilocalories) offood energy and is a rich source (20% or higher of theDaily Value, DV) ofvitamin C (99% DV) andvitamin K (85% DV) (table). Raw broccoli also contains moderate amounts (10–19% DV) of severalB vitamins and thedietary mineralpotassium, whereas othermicronutrients are low in content (less than 10% DV). Broccoli contains the dietaryprovitamin A carotenoid,beta-carotene.[25]
Boiling substantially reduces the levels of broccoliglucosinolates, while other cooking methods, such assteaming,microwaving, andstir-frying, have no significant effect on glucosinolate levels.[3]
The larvae ofPieris rapae, also known as the "small white" butterfly, are a common pest in broccoli and were mostly introduced accidentally to North America, Australia, and New Zealand.[28]
Additional pests common to broccoli production include:[29]
^Branca, Ferdinando (2008), Prohens, Jaime; Nuez, Fernando (eds.), "Cauliflower and Broccoli",Vegetables I: Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodicaceae, and Cucurbitaceae, Handbook of Plant Breeding, vol. 1, New York, NY: Springer, pp. 151–186,doi:10.1007/978-0-387-30443-4_5,ISBN978-0-387-30443-4{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
^"Broccoli production". Pennsylvania State University, Extension Service. 20 June 2005.Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved10 February 2021.
^"Broccoli". Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, US Department of Agriculture. 1 June 2018.Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved27 June 2019.
^Heitzman, J. Richard; Heitzman, Joan E. (1996). Love, Kathy; Larsen, LuAnne (eds.).Butterflies and moths of Missouri. Rathert, Jim (principal photographer). Jefferson City, MO: Missouri Dept. of Conservation.ISBN1-887247-06-8.
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