From en.wikipedia.org:
[Vegetable in the species Brassica oleracea] [Other uses] [Cauliflory]
[date=April 2025] [date=April 2025] [name-list-style=vanc] {{Infobox cultivar
| name = Cauliflower | image = Chou-fleur 02.jpg | image_caption =
Cauliflower, cultivar unknown | species = _Brassica oleracea_ | group =
Botrytis Group | origin = Northeast Mediterranean, South Asia | subdivision =
Many; see text. }}
CAULIFLOWER is one of several vegetables cultivated from the species _Brassica
oleracea_ in the genus _Brassica_, which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard)
family. Cauliflower usually grows with one main stem that carries a large,
rounded "head" made of tightly clustered, immature white or off-white flower
buds called the "curd".[1] Typically, only the "head" is eaten.
An annual plant that reproduces by seed, the cauliflower head is composed of a
(generally) white inflorescence meristem. Although cauliflower heads resemble
those in broccoli, the latter differs in having flower buds as the edible
portion.
The global cauliflower production (combined with broccoli) in 2023 was 26.5
million tonnes, led by China and India with 72% of the total.
** Description
There are four major groups of cauliflower.[2]
1. Italian: This specimen is diverse in appearance, biennial, and annual in type. This group includes white, Romanesco , and various brown, green, purple, and yellow cultivars. This type is the ancestral form from which the others were derived.
2. Northern European annuals: These are used in Europe and North America for summer and fall harvests. They were developed in Germany in the 18th century and include the old cultivars Erfurt and Snowball.
3. Northwest biennial: Used in Europe for winter and early spring harvest, developed in France in the 19th century and includes the old cultivars Angers and Roscoff.
4. Asian: A tropical cauliflower used in China and India, it was developed in India during the 19th century from the now-abandoned Cornish type [3] and includes old varieties Early Benaras and Early Patna.
*** Domestication
Cauliflowers are an "arrested inflorescence" subspecies of _B. oleracea_ that
arose around 2,500 years ago.<ref name="y693" /> Genomic analysis finds
initially evolved from broccoli with three MADS-box genes, playing roles in
its curd formation. Nine loci and candidate genes are linked with
morphological and biological characters.[4]
*** Varieties
There are hundreds of historic and current commercial varieties used around
the world. A comprehensive list of about 80 North American varieties is
maintained at North Carolina State University.[5]
*** Colors
- White cauliflower is the most common color of cauliflower, having a contrasting white head (also called "curd", having a similar appearance to cheese curd ), [6] surrounded by green leaves. <ref name="ume" />
- Orange cauliflower contains beta-carotene as the orange pigment, a provitamin A compound. This orange trait originated from a natural mutant found in a cauliflower field in Canada. [7] Cultivars include 'Cheddar' and 'Orange Bouquet'.
- Green cauliflower in the _B. oleracea_ Botrytis Group is sometimes called broccoflower . It is available in the normal curd (head) shape and with a fractal spiral curd called Romanesco broccoli . Both have been commercially available in the U.S. and Europe since the early 1990s. Green-headed varieties include 'Alverda, 'Green Goddess', and 'Vorda'. Romanesco varieties include 'Minaret' and 'Veronica'.
- The purple color is caused by the presence of anthocyanin s, water-soluble pigments that are found in many other plants and plant-based products, such as red cabbage and red wine . [8] Varieties include 'Graffiti' and 'Purple Cape'.
<gallery mode="packed"> File:Cauliflower broccoflower.jpg|White and green
cauliflower File:Cauliflower romanesco.JPG|Green Romanesco cauliflower
File:7367-Brassica oleracea var. botrytis.JPG|Orange cauliflower
File:Purplec.png|Purple cauliflower </gallery>
*** Phytochemicals
Cauliflower contains several non-nutrient phytochemicals common in the cabbage
family that are under preliminary research for their potential properties,
including isothiocyanates and glucosinolates.[9] Boiling reduces the levels of
cauliflower glucosinolates, while other cooking methods, such as steaming,
microwaving, and stir frying, have no significant effect on glucosinolate
levels.[10]
** Etymology
The word "cauliflower" derives from the Italian _cavolfiore_, meaning "cabbage
flower".[11] The ultimate origin of the name is from the Latin words _caulis_
(cabbage) and _flōs_ (flower).[12]
** Nutrition
{{nutritional value | name = Cauliflower, raw | water = 92 g | kcal = 25 |
protein = 1.9 g | fat = 0.3 g | carbs = 5 g | fiber = 2 g | sugars = 1.9 g |
calcium_mg = 22 | iron_mg = 0.42 | magnesium_mg = 15 | phosphorus_mg = 44 |
potassium_mg = 299 | sodium_mg = 30 | zinc_mg = 0.27 | manganese_mg = 0.155 |
vitC_mg = 48.2 | thiamin_mg = 0.05 | riboflavin_mg = 0.06 | niacin_mg = 0.507
| pantothenic_mg = 0.667 | vitB6_mg = 0.184 | folate_ug = 57 | vitE_mg = 0.08
| vitK_ug = 15.5 | note = Link to USDA Database entry (see
https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169986/nutrients) }}
Raw cauliflower is 92% water, 5% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contains
negligible fat (table). In a reference amount of [100], raw cauliflower
provides 25 calories of food energy, and has a high content (20% or more of
the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin C (54% DV) and moderate levels of several B
vitamins, vitamin K, and potassium (10–14% DV; table). Contents of other
micronutrients are low (below 5% DV).
** Cultivation
*** History
Cauliflower is the result of selective breeding and likely arose in the
Mediterranean region, possibly from broccoli.[13]
Pliny the Elder included _cyma_ among cultivated plants he described in
_Natural History_: "_Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma_"[14]
("Of all the varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is _cyma_").[15]
Pliny's description likely refers to the flowering heads of an earlier
cultivated variety of _Brassica oleracea_.[16]
In the Middle Ages, early forms of cauliflower were associated with the island
of Cyprus, with the 12th- and 13th-century Arab botanists Ibn al-'Awwam and
Ibn al-Baitar claiming its origin to be Cyprus.<ref
name=AggieHorticulture>[title=Cabbage Flowers for Food][17] This association
continued into Western Europe, where cauliflowers were sometimes known as
Cyprus colewort, and there was extensive trade in Western Europe in
cauliflower seeds from Cyprus, under the French Lusignan rulers of the island,
until well into the 16th century.[18]
It is thought to have been introduced into Italy from Cyprus or the east coast
of the Mediterranean around 1490 and then spread to other European countries
in the following centuries.<ref name=":0" />
François Pierre La Varenne employed _chouxfleurs_ in _Le cuisinier
françois_.[19] They were introduced to France from Genoa in the 16th century
and are featured in Olivier de Serres' _Théâtre de l'agriculture_ (1600), as
_cauli-fiori_ "as the Italians call it, which are still rather rare in France;
they hold an honorable place in the garden because of their delicacy",[20] but
they did not commonly appear on grand tables until the time of Louis XIV.[21]
It was introduced to India in 1822 by the British.[22]
*** Horticulture
Cauliflower is relatively difficult to grow compared to cabbage, with common
problems such as an underdeveloped head and poor curd quality.[23]
**** Climate
Because the weather is a limiting factor for producing cauliflower, the plant
grows best in moderate daytime temperatures [70–85], with plentiful sun and
moist soil conditions high in organic matter and sandy soils.<ref name=ume/>
The earliest maturity possible for cauliflower is 7 to 12 weeks from
transplanting.<ref name=umass/> In the northern hemisphere, fall season
plantings in July may enable harvesting before autumn frost.<ref name=ume/>
Long periods of sun exposure in hot summer weather may cause cauliflower heads
to discolor with a red-purple hue.<ref name=ume/>
**** Seeding and transplanting
Transplantable cauliflowers can be produced in containers such as flats,
hotbeds, or fields. In soil that is loose, well-drained, and fertile, field
seedlings are shallow-planted [1/2] and thinned by ample space – about 12
plants per [1].<ref name=ume/> Ideal growing temperatures are about [65] when
seedlings are 25 to 35 days old.<ref name=ume/> Applications of fertilizer to
developing seedlings begin when leaves appear, usually with a starter solution
weekly.
Transplanting to the field normally begins in late spring and may continue
until mid-summer. Row spacing is about [15-18]. Rapid vegetative growth
after transplanting may benefit from such procedures as avoiding spring
frosts, using starter solutions high in phosphorus, irrigating weekly, and
applying fertilizer.<ref name=ume/>
**** Disorders, pests, and diseases
The most important disorders affecting cauliflower quality are a hollow stem,
stunted head growth or buttoning, ricing, browning, and leaf-tip burn.<ref
name=ume/> Among major pests affecting cauliflower are aphids, root maggots,
cutworms, moths, and flea beetles.<ref name=umass/> The plant is susceptible
to black rot, black leg, club root, black leaf spot, and downy mildew.<ref
name=ume/>
**** Harvesting
When cauliflower is mature, heads appear clear white, compact, and [6-8] in
diameter, and should be cooled shortly after harvest.<ref name=ume/> Forced
air cooling to remove heat from the field during hot weather may be needed for
optimal preservation. Short-term storage is possible using cool,
high-humidity storage conditions.<ref name=ume/>
**** Pollination
Many species of blowflies, including _Calliphora vomitoria_, are known
pollinators of cauliflower.[24] {| class="wikitable" style="float:right;
width:12em; text-align:center;" |+ Cauliflower production <br>[2023, millions
of tonnes] |- | [CHN] || 9.7 |- | [IND] || 9.5 |- | [USA] || 1.1 |- | [MEX] ||
0.8 |- | [ESP] || 0.6 |- | WORLD || 26.5 |- |colspan=2|[Source: FAOSTAT of the
United Nations][25] |}
** Production
In 2023, world production of cauliflower (combined for production reports with
broccoli) was 26.5 million tonnes, led by China and India which had 72% of the
total (table). Secondary producers were the United States, Spain, and Mexico.
175px [Cookbook]
** Culinary
Cauliflower heads can be roasted, grilled, boiled, fried, steamed, pickled, or
eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are typically
removed, leaving only the florets (the edible "curd" or "head"). The leaves
are also edible but are often discarded.[26]
Cauliflower can be used as a low-calorie, gluten-free alternative to rice and
flour. Between 2012 and 2016, cauliflower production in the United States
increased by 63%, and cauliflower-based product sales increased by 71% between
2017 and 2018. Cauliflower rice is made by pulsing cauliflower florets and
cooking the result in oil.[27][28] Cauliflower pizza crust is made from
cauliflower flour.[29] Mashed cauliflower is a low-carbohydrate alternative to
mashed potatoes.[30]
** In culture
[Romanesco broccoli#Fractal structure] Cauliflower has been noticed by
mathematicians for its distinct fractal dimension,[31][32] calculated to be
roughly 2.8.[33][34] One of the fractal properties of cauliflower is that
every branch, or "module", is similar to the entire cauliflower. Another
quality, also present in other plant species, is that the angle between
"modules", as they become more distant from the center, is 360 degrees divided
by the golden ratio.[35]
The fancied resemblance of the shape of a boxer's ear to a cauliflower gave
rise to the term "cauliflower ear".
** References
[Reflist]
** Further reading
- [author=S. R. Sharma ]
** External links
[Brassica oleracea var. botrytis]
- PROTAbase on _Brassica oleracea (cauliflower and broccoli)_ (see https://web.archive.org/web/20160210161136/http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Brassica+oleracea+cauliflower+and+broccoli&RF=Webdisplay)
- Orange Cauliflower Development (see https://web.archive.org/web/20080513105622/http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/2004/040412caulif.html)
[Brassica oleraca]
[from=Q7537] [Authority control] [date=March 2024]
Category:Brassica oleracea Category:Crops originating from Asia Category:Crops
originating from Europe Category:Edible plants Category:Food plant cultivars
Category:Inflorescence vegetables