You’ve heard of the age old riddle: Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Now get ready for the new and improved: Is broccoli a fruit, a veggie, or a flower? (psst, it’s a flower vegetable).
But why does it matter? Food is food, you might wonder. Well, taxonomy of plants helps us unlock a treasure trove of information about their characteristics, benefits, and uses. Without naming them, we can’t study them, and without studying them, we can’t use them (or avoid them, in cases like the Deadly Nightshade). It’s that simple.
Broccoli, with its unusual shape and colour might be a bit of a conundrum. In this article, we are going to categorize broccoli according to its characteristics and discuss its myriad benefits along the way.
Botanical Classification of Broccoli
Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea var. italica
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Subclass: Dilleniidae
- Order: Capparales
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Genus: Brassica
- Species: Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)
Overview of the Brassica oleracea species
Brassica oleracea var. italica (broccoli) belongs to the Brassicaceae family, commonly known as the mustards, crucifers, or the cabbage family. In fact, Brassica is Latin for cabbage, and olercea means vegetable/herb.
The Brassica olercea genus includes many common cultivars (cultivated plants) including kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower and of course, broccoli. These crop plants are known for their edible leaves and florets, and are characterized by their stout rosettes and four petaled flowers.
Cruciferous vegetables are rich in Vitamin C. Research has shown that a diet rich in vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, kale, turnips, cauliflower, and cabbage has resulted in a reduced risk of cancer.
Broccoli as an edible plant
There’s a reason why broccoli pops up in almost every search result for the best vegetable or healthiest vegetable to incorporate into your diet, it packs a punch with its nutritional value. But what about its bitterness? Researchers have found that the presence of the TAS2R38 gene in a person may be responsible for their bitter taste perception of broccoli.
Broccoli is not a new and trendy fad; it has been bred and consumed by humans since the sixth century BC. The edible part of broccoli is its inflorescence or flower head, which includes its stalks.
Morphological features of broccoli
Broccoli is an annual, biennial, or perennial plant depending on its type and region. The plant is characterized by its typically dark green flower heads which branch out from its thick light green stalks. Its stem shoots up from the root and is surrounded by leathery green leaves.
Broccoli’s flower head consists of dense clusters of flower buds. If left unharvested, these flower buds bloom into green, purple, yellow, or white flowers and produce silique fruit.
Broccoli has morphological variations depending on its type. Calabrese broccoli have single large green heads which can measure 10-20 cm. Romanesco broccoli have complex conical flower buds, are chartreuse in colour and have a firmer texture when cooked. Purple broccoli have a purple flower head pistachio-green undertones, resemble cauliflower, and have a tender texture.
Is Broccoli a Fruit?
What is a fruit?
Botanically speaking, a fruit is a product which develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, and contains seeds within it. Going by this definition, several plant products which are culinarily considered vegetables are actually fruits; this includes gourds (cucumbers, pumpkin, squash), tomato, chilli peppers, capsicum, raw banana, and corn.
Broccoli’s reproductive system
Broccoli is an angiosperm, this means that it is a flowering plant which uses its seeds to reproduce. Broccoli is also an outcrossed plant, meaning it uses cross pollination to reproduce. Cross pollination is the process where plants require pollen from another plant to fertilize the egg.
Since most broccoli is harvested before it could bloom into flowers and reach this stage, farmers grow some broccoli just for the purpose of reproduction.
Broccoli vs. other fruits
Unlike other fruits, broccoli is not the mature ovary of a plant. In short, the broccoli plant can produce fruit, but the flower buds and stem which are consumed cannot be categorized as fruit.
Is Broccoli a Vegetable?
What is a vegetable?
“Vegetable” is not a botanical name, it is a culinary one. Any edible part of a plant which is used for culinary purposes is called a vegetable. This includes flowers (broccoli), fruits (tomato), stems (asparagus), leaves (spinach), roots (ginger), and seeds (peas).
Broccoli’s culinary usage and preparation methods.
Broccoli is a common ingredient in everything from ramen bowls to salads. Broccoli can be eaten raw but boiling it reduces its levels of glucosinolates (the natural component which makes it bitter), gives it a firm-tender texture, and brings out its natural flavor.
There are many ways to prepare broccoli as it is quite a forgiving vegetable; rejoice beginner cooks, the world is your oyster (or should we say broccoli?)! Steam it, roast it, grill it, add it to stir-fry, pasta, salads, smoothies, or even blend it into a warm, yummy bowl of broccoli-cheddar soup.
We recommend blanching your broccoli in boiling water first to remove the gluscosinolates and give it a brighter taste.
Broccoli vs. other vegetables.
The broccoli plant’s edible flower head which comprises its florets and stalks can be categorized as vegetables. It is usually likened to cauliflower, another Brassica oleracea, because of the similarities in their physical appearance.
Is Broccoli a Flower?
What is a flower?
A flower is an integral reproductive structure in flowering plants. Flowers produce gametophytes, which induce sexual reproduction. The male gametophyte is contained within the pollen, whereas the female gametophyte is contained within the ovule. The phenomenon in which the pollen from the anther of a flower is deposited on the stigma is called pollination.
Some flowers self-pollinate, where the reproductive process happens within the same flower or another flower from the same plant. On the other hand, some flowers like broccoli use cross pollination. Cross pollination is when the reproductive process occurs between two flowers of the same species but different plants.
Broccoli’s inflorescence
As discussed above, the broccoli plant’s inflorescence comprises of a cluster of flower buds which bloom into flowers, which subsequently produce fruit-yeilding flowers. Broccoli uses cross pollination to reproduce.
Broccoli vs. other flowers
Flowers are not just visually and olfactorarily pleasing appendages of plants. Not all flowers are delicate and sweet-smelling, they range in colour, size, shape among various other distinguishing characteristics. Regardless of their differences, all flowers have the same function: to produce seeds for reproduction, especially in angiosperms like broccoli.
What exactly is broccoli?
With the above definitions we can conclude that broccoli is botanically a flower because of its seed bearing properties. And since it is used for culinary purposes, its edible parts (its inflorescence) are a vegetable.
Nutritional value of broccoli
Broccoli is an absolute powerhouse of a vegetable. This superfood is rich in vitamin C, which is great for boosting the immune system and producing collagen for skin health. It is also rich in vitamin K, which improves bone health and is a key factor in blood clotting. Additionally, it has moderate amounts of several B vitamins which are important for improving cell metabolism and synthesizing red blood cells.
Furthermore, the dietary fiber and antioxidants abundatly present in broccoli boost gut health and reduce the risk of several human cancers respectively.
Conclusion
So, we know now that broccoli is not a fruit as it is not the mature ovary of the plant. Instead, the parts we use as food are actually the unbloomed flower buds and stalks of the broccoli plant. And since the flower head of the broccoli plant is edible, it can be classified as a vegetable.
Now you are well-equipped with enough information to answer the question, “Is broccoli a fruit, vegetable, or flower?” Broccoli is a flower vegetable!
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