Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head is eaten as a vegetable.
The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means “the flowering crest of a cabbage”, and is the diminutive form of brocco, meaning “small nail” or “sprout”.
Broccoli is often boiled or steamed but may be eaten raw, classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea, has large flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like structure branching out from a thick, edible stalk.
The mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves.
Broccoli resembles cauliflower, which is a different cultivar group of the same species.
Broccoli is a result of careful breeding of cultivated Brassica crops in the northern Mediterranean starting in about the 6th century BC.
Since the time of the Roman Empire, broccoli has been considered a uniquely valuable food among Italians it was brought to England from Antwerp in the mid-18th century by Peter Scheemakers.
It was first introduced to the United States by Southern Italian immigrants, but did not become widely popular until the 1920s.
GreenPoint’s Broccoli take 200 acres out of cultivation and are commercialized from December to April.
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 141 kJ (34 kcal) |
|
Carbohydrates
|
6.64 g
|
| Sugars | 1.7 gr |
| Dietary fiber | 2.6 gr |
|
Fat
|
0.37 g
|
|
Protein
|
2.82 g
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv.
beta-carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
|
(4%)
31 μg (3%)
361 μg 1403 μg
|
| Thiamine (B1) |
(6%)
0.071 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(10%)
0.117 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(4%)
0.639 mg |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(11%)
0.573 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(13%)
0.175 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(16%)
63 μg |
| Vitamin C |
(107%)
89.2 mg |
| Vitamin E |
(5%)
0.78 mg |
| Vitamin K |
(97%)
101.6 μg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(5%)
47 mg |
| Iron |
(6%)
0.73 mg |
| Magnesium |
(6%)
21 mg |
| Manganese |
(10%)
0.21 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(9%)
66 mg |
| Potassium |
(7%)
316 mg |
| Sodium |
(2%)
33 mg |
| Zinc |
(4%)
0.41 mg |
| Other constituents | |
| Water | 89.3 g |
|
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|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|