Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean and was first mentioned in France in 1520AD.
Broccoli means ‘little sprouts' in Italian. It's part of the Brassica family of vegetables which includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoflower, Asian varieties of cabbage, turnips and swedes
Broccoli is the star of the brassicas, and it has certainly received the most research and media attention. The main reason
it was chosen for research was because it was so popular and widely eaten. Most of this research relates to the discovery of the compounds that give broccoli a distinctive mustardy taste.
They also have strong health benefits in protecting us against various cancers. In addition to these ‘mustardy' compounds, many brassicas contain other phytochemicals that can help prevent chronic disease. Many brassicas also have antioxidant activity.
The World Cancer Research Fund has concluded that diets rich in brassicas probably protect specifically against cancers of the colon, rectum and thyroid, and when part of a diet rich in other types of vegetables, generally against other kinds of cancers too.
Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean and was first mentioned in France in 1520AD. When broccoli was first introduced to Britain it was call “Italian asparagus”. The name broccoli comes from the Italian ‘brocco' and the Latin ‘bracchium' which means branch, arm or shoot.
