Talk:Broccoli

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Contents

[edit] Health benefits section

I agree that we desperately need a section on health benefits and nutrition of broccoli!

Desperately need a section on health benefits of broccoli and especially broccoli sprouts. Just searching wikipedia for broccoli pulls up a few good points

What about include a photo from the public domain ???. Mac

So what, if anything, is to be made of the oft-repeated claim that broccoli as we know it was a cross between cauliflower and peas, and that this cross-breeding was done by an ancestors of Albert Broccoli, producer of most of the James Bond movies? (Who, BTW, deserves an article.) -- Jmabel 07:03, 6 May 2004 (UTC)

That is the dumbest question I’ve ever heard. It was also the exact same question I was going to ask. So I guess I wont throw stones! Someone please answer. Baddog 02/11/06 08:56 CST

The alleged link to the family of Albert Broccoli is absolute bunk. The history of broccoli is certainly not clear, but it goes much farther back than Albert's family. Similarly, using the word 'broccoli' to point to its Italian origins is highly questionable. The word is probably not from Italian at all, but may be of Dutch origin instead (from Boorenkole meaning farmer's cabbage). The plant mentioned by Apicius may or may not be broccoli.

I have a more detailed set of notes on the subject on my website [MedievalCookery.com]. -- Doc 63.250.143.9 15:39, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

--- is it necessary to state that George H.W. Bush was in the first generation of american children to have broccoli? that seems fairly meaningless and random.


[edit] Nutritional Data

Am I the only one that noticed that the serving sizes are entirely different (something many readers may not notice), thus making it non-trivial to compare the nutritional data? The site those data came from lets you standardize to 100g; someone needs to do it. (I haven't yet figured out how to upload pix.)

I have heard that it was a cross between califlower and rabe not peas and here is a link to a website about Albert "Cubby" Broccoli that makes that claim. http://www.cubbybroccoli.com/biography.html

[edit] Preparation and Nutrition

Broccoli normally tastes awful, but it tastes great if deep fried. So there must be some drawback to this method - how does this affect the nutritional value? It would be nice to have nutritional data according to the preparation (raw, cooked, steamed, ..., deep-fried) --138.251.194.49 15:16, 2 May 2006 (UTC)

For a start, I think broccoli is delicious in whatever form. As for the nutritional values, raw will be best, steamed less so, boiled less so again. If it's deep fried, particularly in batter as in pakora (delicious!) it's likely to retain nutrients better than steaming, but will also be vastly higher in fat. 86.0.203.120 01:23, 27 November 2006 (UTC)




[edit] Related to wild mustard or not???

This page needs to be cleaned up: is Broccoli related to wild mustard or not? Whatever the answer is, please provide a citation to an authoritative source, as this page presently makes assertions both ways without any citation to authority.

AHHHH! MY NIGHTMARE'S COMING TRUE!!!
AHHHH! MY NIGHTMARE'S COMING TRUE!!!

[edit] North America-centric

Shouldn't there be more on the consumption of broccoli in other cultures, particularly China?--Anchoress 07:50, 9 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Anybody concernced that this is not actually broccoli but calabrese.

Broccoli is purple and is sometimes called purple sprouting broccoli, whereas calabrese is what you get in supermarkets described (erroneously) as broccoli!

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_22_45_96


http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_22_44_74

"broccoli" is what it's known by colloquially, so that's what the page name is. Technically speaking calling it "broccoli" isn't "erroneous" in any real sense, since language-wise, that's what it refers to. Nobody thinks of purple plants when they think of broccoli; just check any cartoon rendition of it, ranging from that MTV show to the Powerpuff Girls episode where they fought mutant broccoli stalks (no, I'm not kidding. That was a real episode. My hand to God.) - all of them are green, green, green in modern Western culture. So, the name of the page is NOT wrong, and please don't change it or anything like that. You may, however, want to note that the plant used to be referred to (or "is less frequently, but more properly referred to") as calabrese... so long as you can cite sources for it.
"Broccoli is commonly called Calabrese in some countries, and in those countries the purple variety is commonly called Broccoli. But kudos on the excellent encyclopedic sources you've quoted. If only we could make up an entire encyclopedia based on the popular American Cartoon view of things ... hmmm... idiotopedia?
It's possible that the two different origins that were on the page previously are due to the confusion of calabrese and purple broccoli's origins, I suppose. 63.21.36.163 05:36, 28 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Seeds and Pods

Broccoli plants flower and produce seeds in a very interesting way. I would like to see this process explained as well as a picture of the seeding plant. Also, I would like to know if broccoli seed pods are edible/healthy. --Karuna8 03:18, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

Even more basic, does anybody have a close up picture of a full broccoli plant, or a cutaway drawing of one in the ground? Showing just spears doesn't do justice to such a magnificent plant. Kborer 01:19, 12 December 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Pesticide level

What is the white powdery substance that is on broccoli? It's on grapes too. Is this pesticide? Is broccoli usually higher or lower in pesticide residues? I remember seeing a guide where fruit and vegetables were ranked for lowest and highest residual pesticides. Would Wikipedia soon be adding this to fruit and vegetable entries? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Happathyapathy (talk • contribs) 05:51, 6 December 2006 (UTC). The white powdery substance of broccoli and grapes is wax. Plants product this epicuticular wax to reduce water loss. These two have especially large amounts of it, and in a form that looks powdery.Phytism 21:09, 17 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Romanesco

Isn't Romanesco actually a type of broccoli, rather than cauliflower? hotdiggitydogs 03:19, 10 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] infobox error, fiber

The fiber content can't be right: 6.4 grams fiber in 5 grams carbohydrate isn't possible. It is more like 3 grams fiber in five grams carb. 67.176.161.242 03:24, 21 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Picture of Entire Plant

Could someone post a pic of the whole broccoli plant? The pictures don't give a very good sense of the overall look of a broccoli plant, and I came to this page just to get a feel for it... --76.169.248.63 02:50, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Broccoli doesn't need a "in popular culture" section

Seriously now, is it important for someone researching broccoli to know that it was once referenced in an episode of The Simpsons? --Rubber cat 05:31, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia is used for many uses, and sometimes I use it for uses like that. It's dumb, I admit it :) I'll try integrating the trivia as much as I can into the body of the article instead. WLU 16:44, 9 May 2007 (UTC)
I agree. That information is Not Encyclopedic. 12.205.168.51 01:08, 10 May 2007 (UTC)
If not in Wikipedia, where? DAMurphy 00:34, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
That's kind of irrelevant. Just because you can't think of somewhere else to put the information, doesn't mean it belongs in Wikipedia. If you really want to put it somewhere else, I would personally be amused to find it in Uncyclopedia. Or you could host your own webpage somewhere and fill it with trivia. Or you could submit it to one of the many list and trivia sites out there. Skittle 12:22, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
I looked at the old way it was and think that it was interesting for sure. I kind of liked the popular culture section. The broccoli eating contest is very informative and the Colbert stuff I liked. Then there could always be the facts about George Bush Sr. and broccoli. I think the article is too short and broccoli needs some interesing facts because, otherwise, it's a very boring vegetable. |3 E |_ |_ 0 VV E |) 22:54, 14 May 2007 (UTC)
Really, there's something weird about expecting entertainment with random trivia facts from an encyclopedic article on broccoli. Femto 11:34, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
Broccoli are serious vegetable. This is serious thread. RTucker 12:34, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
But that's why people come to Wikipedia. They get facts they couldn't in an ordinary encyclopedia. I vote to re-state the broccoli in popular culture section as long as the facts are somewhat significant. |3 E |_ |_ 0 VV E |) 00:57, 16 June 2007 (UTC)
No arguments from me on re-inserting it. WLU 02:57, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

Wow, a Broccoli in Popular Culture Section ... wow, who could imagine having that much free time? No offense to anyone, but wow! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.148.123.76 (talk) 08:55, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Books

If their are any books on broccoli why are they not mentioned here either as a seperate section or under the popular culture section? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.244.7.247 (talk • contribs)

If you have a book that discusses broccoli, you can create a bibliography or references section and place it there. WLU 16:45, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Cooking

The most common way to cook broccoli is to quick steam it. This usually results in a strong distinct odor but retains the most nutrients.

Other methods include Grilling, stir frying, frying, and baking (in various types of dishes/casseroles).

Source - http://homecooking.about.com/cs/vegetables/a/broccoli.htm

Bradjs 16:02, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

'Most common' where and amongst whom? Skittle 21:34, 30 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling error, someone please correct it

There is a line in the article that reads "There is was a sprouting type", please change it to "There it was a sprouting type". The article is semi-locked an I can't edit it myself.

[edit] History

The word broccoli comes from the Latin bracchium, meaning arm

This is not apparently true. According to the entry available at Dictionary.com, the word "broccoli" comes from the vulgar latin word "brocca", which meant spike or sprout. Further, I think the article at the source cited - vegparadise.com - is pretty much a puff-piece and isn't really an authoritative source. --Doc (talk) 17:45, 3 April 2008 (UTC)

Good catch! I'll source to my text oxford. WLU (talk) 17:49, 3 April 2008 (UTC)
Done. WLU (talk) 17:59, 3 April 2008 (UTC)