Meatless Monday

Here are some fun facts about our Meatless Monday veggie of the day, Broccoli. Broccoli is one of the healthiest green vegetables. It’s versatile, inexpensive and tastes great.

Broccoli has been cultivated for more than 2000 years. Cultivation is believed to have originated in Calabria, Italian. This is the origin of the Italian name “Calabrese.”

Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, and Kale are all of the exact same species of plant! Many folks don’t believe this as they look so different…. but how does a Poodle compare to a Great Dane?

The name “broccoli” comes for the Latin word brachium, which means “branch,” or “arm.” Broccoli has only been grown in America for about 200 years and for much of that time it was considered exotic. Until the 1920’s, broccoli was virtually unknown by most Americans. Broccoli production in the U.S. increased 700% between 1971 and 1991 and is continuing today.

Broccoli is a “cool weather” crop and does poorly in hot weather. Because it is tolerant to cold, it is available year ’round in the U.S.

The American film producer, Albert R. Broccoli, (April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996) famous for producing the James Bond movies, claimed his family invented Broccoli. This has been judged a highly dubious claim by most experts.

Broccoli comes in a variety of colors, ranging from deep sage all the way to dark green and purplish-green.

Tom “Broccoli” Landers  holds the current world record for eating 1 pound of broccoli in 92 seconds.

Source: Swampy Acres Farm
Photo: Electric Tree House