Romanesco broccoli

Last updated
Romanesco
Romanesco broccoli (Brassica oleracea).jpg
Romanesco, showing its self-similar form
Species Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group Botrytis cultivar group

Romanesco broccoli (also known as broccolo romanesco, romanesque cauliflower, or simply romanesco) is in fact a cultivar of the cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), despite the name, not a broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica). [1] It is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea , which also includes regular broccoli and cauliflower. It is chartreuse in color, [2] and has a form naturally approximating a fractal. Romanesco has a nutty flavor and a firmer texture than cauliflower and broccoli when cooked. [3] [4]

Contents

Description

The Romanesco superficially resembles a cauliflower, but it has a visually striking fractal form. Romanesco broccoli (3).jpg
The Romanesco superficially resembles a cauliflower, but it has a visually striking fractal form.
Romanesco broccoli texture Romanesco broccoli texture.jpg
Romanesco broccoli texture
Romanesco broccoli in a field Vitoria - Huertas de Olarizu - Romanescu BT 01.jpg
Romanesco broccoli in a field

Romanesco superficially resembles a cauliflower, but it is chartreuse in color, with the form of a natural fractal. Nutritionally, romanesco is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and carotenoids. [5]

Fractal structure

The inflorescence (the bud) is self-similar in character, with the branched meristems making up a logarithmic spiral, giving a form approximating a natural fractal; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another logarithmic spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at smaller levels. The pattern is only an approximate fractal since the pattern eventually terminates when the feature size becomes sufficiently small. The number of spirals on the head of Romanesco broccoli is a Fibonacci number. [6]

The causes of its differences in appearance from the normal cauliflower and broccoli have been modeled as an extension of the preinfloresence stage of bud growth. [7] A 2021 paper has ascribed this phenomenon to perturbations of floral gene networks that causes the development of meristems into flowers to fail, but instead to repeat itself in a self-similar way. [8] [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Kohlrabi, also called German turnip or turnip cabbage, is a biennial vegetable, a low, stout cultivar of wild cabbage. It is a cultivar of the same species as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabbage</span> Leafy vegetable in the flowering plant family Brassicaceae

Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of Brassica oleracea, is a leafy green, red (purple), or white biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage, and belongs to the "cole crops" or brassicas, meaning it is closely related to broccoli and cauliflower ; Brussels sprouts ; and Savoy cabbage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inflorescence</span> Term used in botany to describe a cluster of flowers

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broccoli</span> Edible green plant in the cabbage family

Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli has large flower heads, or florets, usually dark green, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick stalk which is usually light green. The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different but closely related cultivar group of the same Brassica species.

<i>Brassica</i> Genus of flowering plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae

Brassica is a genus of plants in the cabbage and mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, mustard plants, or simply brassicas. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops—derived from the Latin caulis, denoting the stem or stalk of a plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cauliflower</span> Vegetable in the species Brassica oleracea

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broccoflower</span> Edible plant

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References

  1. Azpeitia, Eugenio; Tichtinsky, Gabrielle; Masson, Marie Le; Serrano-Mislata, Antonio; Lucas, Jérémy; Gregis, Veronica; Gimenez, Carlos; Prunet, Nathanaël; Farcot, Etienne; Kater, Martin M.; Bradley, Desmond (2021-07-09). "Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks". Science. 373 (6551): 192–197. Bibcode:2021Sci...373..192A. doi: 10.1126/science.abg5999 . hdl: 10251/182273 . ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   34244409. S2CID   235769692.
  2. Cathy Wilkinson Barash (1998). Kitchen Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful and Functional Culinary Garden. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 42. ISBN   0395827493.
  3. Marie Iannotti (2012). The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables: The 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest Vegetables for Your Garden. Timber Press. ISBN   9781604691887.
  4. James Briscione; Brooke Parkhurst (2018). The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 46. ISBN   9780544809963.
  5. Tufts Nutrition. "Tufts Nutrition Top 10". Tufts Nutrition Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  6. Ron Knott (30 October 2010). "Fibonacci Numbers and Nature". Ron Knott's Web Pages on Mathematics. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018.
  7. Martin Kieffer; Michael P. Fuller; Anita J. Jellings (July 1998). "Explaining Curd and Spear Geometry in Broccoli, Cauliflower and 'Romanesco': Quantitative Variation in Activity of Primary Meristems". Planta . 206 (1): 34–43. doi:10.1007/s004250050371. S2CID   39949892.
  8. Azpeitia, Eugenio; Tichtinsky, Gabrielle; Masson, Marie Le; Serrano-Mislata, Antonio; Lucas, Jérémy; Gregis, Veronica; Gimenez, Carlos; Prunet, Nathanaël; Farcot, Etienne; Kater, Martin M.; Bradley, Desmond (2021-07-09). "Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks". Science. 373 (6551): 192–197. Bibcode:2021Sci...373..192A. doi: 10.1126/science.abg5999 . hdl: 10251/182273 . ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   34244409. S2CID   235769692.
  9. Farcot, Etienne. "Why do cauliflowers look so odd? We've cracked the maths behind their 'fractal' shape". The Conversation. Retrieved 2021-07-20.