BROCCOLI

The edible part is a corymb inflorescence and differs from cauliflower because it is made up of a mass of completely differentiated flower buds of a green color intended to be fine or very fine grained. The inflorescence is supported by a stem that can reach 30 cm in diameter, variable depending on the variety and the time of year in which it is harvested, on which the leaves that crown the corymb are inserted. The weight is normally around 500 g but can easily reach 800-900 g; as it gains weight the inflorescence tends to "give out" or become less compact and the individual flower buds tend to swell until they open in the flowering phase.

Broccoli comes from the Latin brocchus (protruding out). One of the distinctive characteristics of this species compared to cauliflower is the emission of axillary buds or secondary inflorescences commonly called ricacci. From an evolutionary point of view, broccoli has a simpler structure than cauliflower and with good probability it could be its progenitor. Broccoli seems to originate from the area between Greece, Turkey, Syria and the island of Cyprus; from this area it was brought to Italy and already in Roman times, according to Pliny, it was consumed and appreciated in Italy. Currently the country that holds the world record for its cultivation is the USA, it is also cultivated in Asian countries and in the old continent where Italy holds the record with Puglia and specifically the provinces of Foggia, Brindisi and Bari.

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Broccoli is a vegetable rich in mineral salts such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium. They also contain vitamin C (essential for preventing various pathologies ranging from heart disease to osteoporosis), vitamin B1 and B2, dietary fiber (which is why they are indicated in case of constipation) and sulforaphane, a substance that prevents the growth of cancerous cells , also prevents the process of cell division with consequent apoptosis (cell death) and has a protective action against intestinal, lung and breast tumors. Broccoli fights water retention by helping the body detoxify and eliminate waste. These are precious foods, with extraordinary healing properties, including that of reducing the risk of cataracts and protecting against stroke.