Where does cauliflower originate? It took many generations of breeding to serve up this delicious, creamy vegetable.Ĭauliflower has a blurred and uncertain origin. Without any other archeological proof, this mention serves as our first evidence of cauliflower in ancient Rome. Pliny was crazy about cauliflower, though he lamented the foul-smelling water that came from boiling it (which is easily solved with a colander and a nice rinse by the way). He wrote “of all the varieties of cabbage, the most pleasant-tasted in cyma”. At the time, cauliflower was called cyma and most often lumped into the same category of its cabbage relatives. Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder is credited with the first official mention of cauliflower in his book Naturalis Historia. Most of us think of cauliflower as a vegetable but botanically speaking, it is an edible flower, perhaps the most famous of all time. History of Cauliflower The first official mention of this edible flower was by a Roman naturalist named Pliny the Elder. Still, others are bred for bulbous roots like kohlrabi, and then there are the modified flower cousins: broccoli and cauliflower. Some are bred for tasty large leaves like kale and collards, whereas others are bred for dense clusters of leaves (cauliflower and brussel sprouts). Its close cousins cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, collards, and kohlrabi are all variations of the same species, often collectively referred to as “cole crops” or “crucifers”.
#Best way to grow cauliflower from seed free
Whether the classic cream of cauliflower soup, grilled cauliflower, and cauliflower au gratin, or the modern cauliflower rice, pizza crusts, cauliflower “wings”, and gluten free cauli substitutes, there’s no denying that this vegetable has come a long way from its wild cabbage ancestors.Ĭauliflower is one of the hundreds of offshoots of the Brassica oleracea plant. History and Cultivation From classic to modern uses, this vegetable does not disappoint. Why not try your hand at growing it in the garden? With a few simple tips and tricks, your garden beds will be bursting with nutrient-dense cauliflower for a vast range of recipes and snacks.
Plus, it is often difficult to find those specialty varieties of vibrant purple, orange, and green heads. The abundance of biomass is also the perfect addition to your compost pile.Ĭauliflower is notoriously expensive at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. While this cool-weather crop takes up a bit more space than roots or greens, the prolific plants can yield heads up to 1 or 2 pounds! Once harvested, many cauliflower varieties also give you plenty of delicious shoots called “sprouting cauliflower”: tasty florets atop tender, sweet stems. This brassica is grown for heads of tightly packed florets that can be enjoyed raw, roasted, fried, steamed, or even as a rice and grain alternative. Cauliflower is broccoli’s denser, creamier cousin with a reputation for being rather difficult to cultivate in the garden.
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