Romanesco broccoli
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 Romanesco Broccoli, showing fractal form
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Brassica oleracea |
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.
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[edit] Nutrition
It is rich in vitamin C, fiber, and carotenoids.
[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 an unpleasant texture. The texture is more tender than cauliflower, making it suited to raw use as crudités.
[edit] Appearance and Mathematical interest
This vegetable resembles cauliflower but is a light green color and the inflorescence (the bud) has an approximate fractal character, with the branched meristems making a logarithmic spiral.
