A Blog

So broccoli is one cultivar of a plant called Brassica Oleracea. Cultivars are basically just different expressions of certain traits from the same plant. Think of the different varieties of apples.

But Brassica Oleracea is different. Brassica Oleracea is actually like. half of the vegetable section at the grocery store. These things you've come to think of as being separate vegetables are all actually the same plant producing wildly different expressions.

I'll provide a non-comprehensive list of all the vegetables that are actually Brassica Oleracea:

Broccoli

Cauliflower (you probably saw that one coming)

Kale

Cabbage, both white and red, but not Napa (getting weird now) (napa cabbage is also a brassica, but closer to radishes, they have their own species)

Brussels Sprouts

Kholrabi

Collard greens

Romanesco

Broccolini (NOT JUST YOUNG BROCCOLI BUT A SEPARATE CULTIVAR)

And Those are just the familiar ones. Theres all sorts more ranging from the tame Ornamental Kale varieties to the almost otherworldly jersey cabbage.

But why? Why so many different cultivars of this one plant? ITS GOT A BIG OLE GENOME THATS WHY. With such a large genetic map, it leaves room for lots of variation between individuals (a laymen's understanding of genetics) And we've been eating it for a LONG time. Like most of these cultivars are not the result of modern agricultural fuckery. We've had the majority of them since Roman times.

Armed with this knowledge you can now appreciate my most favorite XKCD comic.

ADDITIONALLY, we've been working on making better versions of these plants in modern times. Ever wonder how brussel's sprouts went from "unanimously yucky stink balls" to "drizzle them with balsamic reduction and serve with bacon"? Well botanists in the 90s worked to create progressively more palatable versions of sprouts and reduce their bitterness/stink factor.