Cauliflower
Cauliflower, cultivar unknown
Species
Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group
Botrytis cultivar group
Origin
Northeast Mediterranean
Cultivar group members
Many; see text. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance A cultivar is a cultivated Plant that has been selected and given a unique name because of its decorative or useful characteristics it is usually distinct from similar

Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance Brassicaceae or Cruciferae, also known as the crucifers, the mustard family or cabbage family is a family (the third lowest primary It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Botanically an annual plant is a Plant that usually germinates, Flowers and dies in one Year. Typically, only the head (the white curd) is eaten while the stalk and surrounding thick, green leaves are discarded. Cauliflower is very nutritious, and may be eaten cooked, raw or pickled. Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving Food by Anaerobic fermentation in Brine (a solution

Its name is a variation of cole flower or kale flower (cole and kale being variations of the same word), an acknowledgment of its unusual place among a family of food plants which normally produces only leafy greens for eating. Brassica ( Brás-si-ca) is a genus of plants in the mustard family ( Brassicaceae) Kale or Borecole is a form of Cabbage ( Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) green in color in which the central leaves do not The Brassica oleracea species is the same species as cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli and collard greens, though they are of different cultivar groups. Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance The cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata) is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae used as a This article is about the plant For the pencil game see Sprouts (game. Kale or Borecole is a form of Cabbage ( Brassica oleracea Acephala Group) green in color in which the central leaves do not Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae Collards, also called borekale (from the Dutch boerenkool (farmers' kale are various loose-leafed Cultivars of Brassica oleracea ( Acephala Under the Botanical nomenclature of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP a cultivar group is any gathering of Cultivars

Horticultural techniques

Cultivation

The preferred garden soil for cauliflower is well drained, moist and has significant organic matter with a pH of 6 to 7. Cauliflower is typically started indoors six to eight weeks prior to setting out in the garden and is typically ready for harvest two months after transplanting. As with all brassicas, seeds germinate best with a soil temperature of 25±1 °C (77±2 °F). The vegetable requires a cool, moist climate - if temperatures go too high, the plants will not produce flower heads, if too low a temperature is reached, the plants might button, creating small heads. It is cold tolerant, but will not survive hard frosts. Of all the brassicas, cauliflowers have the largest number of growth requirements, and the ability to successfully grow cauliflower in a home garden is often thought to be the hallmark of well-managed soil and a good gardener.

The most common insect pests of cauliflower are cabbage worms. A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by Humans as injurious or unwanted The term cabbage worm is primarily used for any of four kinds of lepidopteran whose larvae feed on Cabbages and other cole crops. Aphids and flea beetles will also attack cauliflower. Flea beetles is a general name applied to the small jumping Beetles of the Leaf beetle family (Chrysomelidae Control of pests can be achieved by using biological controls such as using geraniums and borageas companion plants to repel pests, the Bacillus thurengensis bacterium, predatory insects or chemical pesticides. Gardeners often use the name "geranium" to mean Pelargonium: see below. Borage ( Borago officinalis L also known as "starflower" ( گل گاوزبان ایرانی is Echium amoenum) is an annual Herb originating in Companion planting in gardening and agriculture is planting of different crops in close physical proximity on the theory that they will help each other Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil dwelling Bacterium of the Genus Bacillus. The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Diseases of cauliflower include black rot, club root and viral yellows. Crop rotation helps to prevent fungal and bacterial diseases. The viral diseases are primarily spread by insects. A virus (from the Latin virus meaning Toxin or Poison) is a sub-microscopic infectious agent that is unable

Commercial production

Cauliflower and broccoli output in 2005

FAO reports that in 2005, China and India were the top producers of cauliflower and broccoli. Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. About half of all cauliflower is raised in China and one fourth in India. In Europe, production has been in Spain since about 1990. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) In North America, production is primarily in California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The seasonal average f.o.b. shipping-point price for cauliflower in 2004 was $33. FOB is an Initialism for Free On Board or Freight On Board. Generally FOB deals with the Shipping of goods "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " 00 per 100 pounds ($0. 73/kg) according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Top Ten Cauliflower Producers — 2005
Country	Production (Int $1000)	Footnote	Production (MT)	Footnote
People's Republic of China	1,653,085	C	7,379,000	F
India	1,086,960	C	4,800,000	F
Italy	116,174	C	513,025
Spain	99,276	C	438,400
France	89,470	C	395,100
United States	75,981	C	335,530	F
Mexico	48,687	C	215,000	F
Pakistan	46,694	C	206,200
Poland	43,026	C	190,000
United Kingdom	36,232	C	160,000	F
No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure; Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Devision

Botanical varieties

Cauliflower and broccoli are the same species and have very similar structures, though cauliflower replaces the green flower buds with white inflorescence meristem. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae Brassica oleracea or Wild Mustard, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe, where its tolerance An inflorescence is a group or cluster of Flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main Branch or a complicated arrangement of branches A meristem is a tissue in all Plants consisting of undifferentiated cells ( meristematic cells) and found in zones of the plant where growth can take place

Major groups

There are four major groups of cauliflower. ^[1]

• Italian. Diverse appearance, biennial and annual types. Includes white, Romanesco, various green, purple, brown and yellow cultivars. The ancestral type from which the others were derived
• Northwest European biennial. Used in Europe for winter and early spring harvest. Developed in France in the 19th century. Includes the old cultivars Roscoff and Angers.
• Northern European annuals. Used in Europe and North America for summer and fall harvest. Developed in Germany in the 18th century. Includes old cultivars Erfurt and Snowball.
• Asian. Tropical cauliflower used in China and India. Developed in India during the 19th century from the now-abandoned Cornish type. ^[2] Includes old varieties Early Patna and Early Benaras.

Varieties

Traditional varieties include 'Snowball', 'Hybrid White', 'Super Snowball', 'Snow Crown', 'Mayflower', Candid Charm', 'Mormon', 'Agrahani', 'poushi', 'maghi', 'Snow White', 'Snow Grace'. Self-blanching varieties are 'Self Blanche', 'Early Tuscan', 'Late Tuscan'. Heirloom varieties include 'All the Year Round', 'Early Pearl', 'Early Snowball', 'Igloo', 'Violetta Italia' and 'Walcheren Winter'. Commercial varieties includue 'Fremont', 'Igloo' and 'Snow Crown'. A comprehensive list of varieties is maintained at North Carolina State University. ^[3]

Colors

Orange cauliflower

• Orange cauliflower (B. oleracea L. var. botrytis) contains 25 times the level of Vitamin A of white varieties. Vitamin A refers to a family of similarly shaped molecules the Retinoids. This trait came from a natural mutant found in a cauliflower field in Canada. A mutant is an individual organism or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of Mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[4] Cultivars include 'Cheddar' and 'Orange Bouquet'.
• Green cauliflower of the B. oleracea Botrytis group, is sometimes called broccoflower. Broccoflower is an edible plant of the species Brassica oleracea. It is available both with the normal curd shape and a variant spiky curd called "Romanesco broccoli" Both types have been commercially available in the US and Europe since the early 1990s. Romanesco broccoli is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea and a variant form of Cauliflower. Romanesco's head is an example of a fractal image in nature, repeating itself in self-similarity at varying scales. A fractal is generally "a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts each of which is (at least approximately a reduced-size copy of the whole" In Mathematics, a self-similar object is exactly or approximately similar to a part of itself (i ^[5] Green curded varieties include 'Alverda', 'Green Goddess' and 'Vorda'. Romanesco varieties include 'Minaret', and 'Veronica'.

Purple cauliflower

• Purple cauliflower also exists. The purple color is caused by the presence of the antioxidant group anthocyanin, which can also be found in red cabbage and red wine. Not to be confused with Anthocyanidin, their sugar free counterparts The Red Cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata f rubra) is a sort of Cabbage, also known as Red Kraut or Blue Kraut Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice ^[6] Varieties include 'Graffiti' and 'Purple Cape'. In Great Britain and southern Italy, a broccoli with tiny flower buds is sold as a vegetable under the name "purple cauliflower. " It is not the same as standard cauliflower with a purple curd.

Nutrition

Cauliflower is low in fat, high in dietary fiber, folate, water and vitamin C, possessing a very high nutritional density. Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the Digestive system, absorbing water and easing Defecation. Folic acid (also known as Vitamin M and Folacin) and Folate (the Anionic form are forms of the water-soluble Vitamin B9 Vitamin C or L-ascorbate is an Essential nutrient for a large number of higher primate species a small number of other Mammalian The term "nutrient density" has several meanings First nutrient density is defined as a ratio of Nutrient content (in grams to the total energy content (in As a member of the brassica family, cauliflower shares with broccoli and cabbage several phytochemicals which are beneficial to human health, including sulforaphane, an anti-cancer compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. Brassica ( Brás-si-ca) is a genus of plants in the mustard family ( Brassicaceae) Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae The cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata) is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae used as a Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties but with unproved benefits Sulforaphane is an anti Cancer, Antidiabetic, and Antimicrobial compound that can be obtained by eating Cruciferous vegetables such as In addition, the compound indole-3-carbinol, which appears to work as an anti-estrogen, appears to slow or prevent the growth of tumors of the breast and prostate. Indole-3-carbinol ( C 9 H 9 N[[oxygen O]] is produced by the breakdown of the Glucosinolate Glucobrassicin which Estrogens (US otherwise oestrogens or œstrogens) are a group of Steroid compounds named for their importance in the Estrous cycle, ^[7] Cauliflower also contains other glucosinolates besides sulfurophane, substances which may improve the liver's ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances. The glucosinolates are a class of Organic compounds that contain Sulfur and Nitrogen and are derived from Glucose and an amino acid The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals ^[8] A high intake of cauliflower has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive prostate cancer. ^[9]

Cooking

Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. Fried cauliflower or also know as Zahra Mekleyah ( Arabic الارنبيط المقلي, زهره مقليه) is a Levantine Vegetarian When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded. ^[10] The florets should be broken into similar-sized pieces so they are cooked evenly. After eight minutes of steaming, or five minutes of boiling, the florets should be soft, but not mushy (depending on size). Stirring while cooking can break the florets into smaller, uneven pieces. Cauliflower is often served with a cheese sauce, as in the dish cauliflower cheese, or with a meat gravy. Cauliflower cheese, sometimes called cauliflower and cheese is a British dish usually eaten as a main course for lunch or dinner In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer Gravy is an English Sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking

Low carb dieters can use cauliflower as a reasonable substitute for potatoes for while they can produce a similar texture, or mouth feel, they lack the starch of potatoes; cauliflower is actually used to produce a potato substitute known as fauxtato. Low-carbohydrate diets or low-carb diets are dietary programs that restrict Carbohydrate consumption usually for Weight control or for the treatment of The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Mouthfeel is a product’s physical and Chemical interaction in the mouth Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide Fauxtato is a compound that shares characteristics with Potatoes, but is made of non-potato substances

Fractal Dimension

As with many vegetables, the cauliflower has a distinct fractal dimension. In Fractal geometry, the fractal dimension, D, is a statistical quantity that gives an indication of how completely a Fractal appears to fill space as The fractal dimension of cauliflower is predicted at about 2. 88 ^[11]

Footnotes

References

• Sharma, S. R, Singh, P. K. , Chable, V. Tripathi, S. K. (2004). "A review of hybrid cauliflower development". Journal of New Seeds 6: 151. doi:10.1300/J153v06n02_08. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.  

External links

• PROTAbase on Brassica oleracea (cauliflower and broccoli)
• Fractal dimensions of a green broccoli and a white cauliflower (Kim) (PDF)
• Orange Cauliflower Development