Cauliflower

Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) is an annual or biennial herb of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), 40–70 cm tall, with an erect stem and broad spreading leaves. The head is a mass of unopened flower buds (the curd), fleshy, cream-white or ivory, 15–30 cm across, made of tightly packed granular florets, partly wrapped by large grey-green leaves. The leaves are broad, shallowly lobed, long-stalked and prominently veined. Left too long, the head starts to open and small four-petalled yellow flowers, typical of the mustard family, push out. The edible parts are the head and young leaves; the taste is mildly sweet and tender.

Cauliflower comes from the Eastern Mediterranean, selected from wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea) since Roman times and developed in medieval Europe; today it is grown across Europe, North America and Asia. In Vietnam it is a common winter-spring crop of the northern lowlands, Da Lat and the Central Highlands. The head is boiled, steamed, stir-fried, fried crisp, made into soup or tossed in salads; the young leaves are also edible. Cauliflower is rich in vitamins C and K, folate, fibre and glucosinolates; during cooking, glucosinolates convert to isothiocyanates with antioxidant activity that research links to lower risk of certain diseases. Besides white heads there are purple, orange and green (romanesco) varieties.