The first time I saw a Romanescu at the market I thought it was a joke. I kept looking around warily; was there a candid camera nearby? Was this thing made of plastic? Genetically modified?
I finally went up to a friendly produce manager and whispered to him: “Is this thing real?” He reassured me that it was. I bought myself a head, wowed my roommates and displayed it for a while before sadly cutting it up. Finding the texture more tender than regular cauliflower, we ate it up raw.
The Romanescu broccoli (as it is officially known, although it resembles a cauliflower) has been around since the 16th century and was first grown in Italy. Although no more nutritious than regular brassica (rich in vitamin C and fiber), Romanescu is the most perfect example of a fractal found in nature. It’s just another way of nature reminding us that there is order behind the chaos – and it’s bound to be a great way to get kids excited about eating their vegetables.
Image: with permission by docman