Cauliflower

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Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea

Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of sodium chloride and calcium carbonate and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs....
, in the family Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a Family of flowering plants ....
. It is an annual plant

Annual plant

An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates flowers and dies in one year. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed....
that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head (the white curd) is eaten while the stalk and surrounding thick, green leaves are used in vegetable broth or discarded. Cauliflower is nutritious, and may be eaten cooked, raw or pickled

Pickling

Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving food by Anaerobic organism fermentation in brine , to produce lactic acid bacteria, or marination and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar ....
.

Its name is from Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
cole - mustard

Brassica

Nutrition Facts

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Carbs in ?????
Fat in ?????

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Encyclopedia

Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a Family of flowering plants ....
. It is an annual plant

Annual plant

Pickling

Latin

Brassica

Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards....
crops - flower), an acknowledgment of its unusual place among a family of food plants which normally produces only leafy greens for eating. Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea

Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance of sodium chloride and calcium carbonate and its intolerance of competition from other plants typically restrict its natural occurrence to limestone sea cliffs....
also includes cabbage

Cabbage

The cabbage is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae , used as a Leaf vegetable. It is a herbaceous, biennial plant, dicotyledonous flowering plant distinguished by a short stem upon which is crowded a mass of leaves, usually green but in some varieties red or purplish, forming a characteristic compact, globular cluster ....
, brussels sprout

Brussels sprout

The Brussels sprout of the Brassicaceae family, is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea cultivated for its small leafy green buds, which resemble miniature cabbages....
s, kale

Kale

Kale or Borecole is a form of cabbage , green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms....
, broccoli

Broccoli

Broccoli is a plant of the cabbage family Brassicaceae .It is classified as the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea. Broccoli possesses abundant arboreal, luscious, fleshy, flower heads, usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible, sturdy, meaty stalk....
and collard greens

Collard greens

Collards are various loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea , the same species that produces cabbage and broccoli. The plant is grown for its large, dark-colored, greens and as a garden ornamental, mainly in Brazil, Portugal, the Southern United States, many parts of Africa, Montenegro, Spain and in Kashmir....
, though they are of different cultivar group

Cultivar group

Under the botanical nomenclature of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants , a cultivar group is any gathering of cultivars designated by common traits....
s. Other theories on the origin of its name state that it was invented by Masahee monks living in the southern regions of France in the 13th century.

The edible portions is typically white. Breeding has produced orange, purple and green varieties

Nutrition

Cauliflower is low in fat, high in dietary fiber

Dietary fiber

Dietary fiber, sometimes called "roughage", is the indigestible portion of plant foods that pushes food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation....
, folate, water and vitamin C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, a large number of simian species, a small number of other mammalian species , a few species of birds, and some fish....
, possessing a very high nutritional density

Nutrient density

The term "nutrient density" has several meanings.First, nutrient density is defined as a ratio of nutrient content to the total energy content ....
. As a member of the brassica

Brassica

Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family . The members of the genus may be collectively known either as cabbages, or as mustards....
family, cauliflower shares with broccoli

Broccoli

Cabbage

Phytochemical

Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals are non-essential nutrients, but still they have been scientifically confirmed as being important to human health....
s which are beneficial to human health, including sulforaphane

Sulforaphane

Sulforaphane is an anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial compound that can be obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables such as brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, broccoli sprouts, chinese broccoli, broccoli raab, kohlrabi, Mustard plant, turnip, radish, Eruca sativa, and watercress....
, an anti-cancer compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. In addition, the compound indole-3-carbinol

Indole-3-carbinol

Indole-3-carbinol is produced by the breakdown of the glucosinolate glucobrassicin which can be found at relatively high levels in cruciferous vegetables....
, which appears to work as an anti-estrogen

Estrogen

Estrogens are a group of steroid compounds, named for their importance in the estrous cycle, and functioning as the primary female sex hormone....
, appears to slow or prevent the growth of tumors of the breast and prostate. Cauliflower also contains other glucosinolate

Glucosinolate

The glucosinolates are a class of organic compounds that contain sulfur and nitrogen and are derived from glucose and an amino acid. They occur as secondary metabolites of almost all plants of the order Brassicales , but also in the genus Drypetes ....
s besides sulfurophane, substances which may improve the liver

Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances. A high intake of cauliflower has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a disease in which cancer develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. It occurs when cell s of the prostate Mutation and begin to multiply out of control....
.

Cooking

Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried

Fried cauliflower

Fried cauliflower, also known as Zahra Mekleyah , is a Levantine vegetarian dish served cold or hot, consisting of fried cauliflower, often accompanied by tahini sauce, lettuce, parsley and tomatoes, served on pita bread or sliced bread, often grilled or toasted....
, steamed or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded. The florets should be broken into similar-sized pieces so they are cooked evenly. After eight minutes of steaming, or five minutes of boiling, the florets should be soft, but not mushy (depending on size). Stirring while cooking can break the florets into smaller, uneven pieces. Cauliflower is often served with a cheese sauce, as in the dish cauliflower cheese

Cauliflower cheese

Cauliflower cheese, sometimes called cauliflower and cheese, is a British dish usually eaten as a main course for lunch or dinner. It is similar to macaroni cheese, though using cauliflower instead of macaroni....
, or traditionally with a Squirrel

Squirrel

File:Eichh?rnchen D?sseldorf Hofgarten edit.jpgA squirrel is one of many small or medium-sized rodents in the family Sciuridae. In the English language-speaking world, squirrel commonly refers to members of this family's genus Sciurus and Tamiasciurus, which are tree squirrels with large bushy tails, indigenous to Asia, the America...
or Pigeon based gravy

Gravy

Gravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. It is a smooth, non-chunky liquid. Ready-made bouillon cube and powders can be used as a substitute for natural meat or vegetable extracts....
in certain boroughs of Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of List of ceremonial counties of England by population. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Metropolitan Borough of...
in the UK.

Low carb dieters can use cauliflower as a reasonable substitute for potatoes for while they can produce a similar texture, or mouth feel, they lack the starch

Starch

File:Amylose2.svgFile:Amylopektin Sessel.svgStarch or amylum is a polysaccharide carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds....
of potatoes; cauliflower is used to produce a potato substitute known as fauxtato

Fauxtato

Fauxtato is a compound that shares characteristics with potatoes, but is made of non-potato substances. This Potato Pretender, or "Potender" as it is also called, is often prepared and served like normal, "Idaho" potatoes, such as in mashed, baked, and home fries....
.

Fractal dimension

As with many vegetables, the cauliflower has a distinct fractal dimension

Fractal dimension

In fractal geometry, the fractal dimension, D, is a statistical quantity that gives an indication of how completely a fractal appears to fill space, as one zooms down to finer and finer scales....
. The fractal dimension of cauliflower is predicted at about 2.88.

Footnotes

External links

(PDF)
by James John Howard Gregory