Broccoli, << BROK uh lee, >> is a nutritious garden vegetable closely related to cauliflower. Broccoli has thick clusters of flower buds that form edible “heads.” Broccoli heads are green and are more branched and open than the tight, round, white heads of cauliflower.
Broccoli is rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins A and C. People cook broccoli or use it as a green, raw snack vegetable. The buds and fleshy stems are eaten.
Broccoli grows best in cool weather and in moist, fertile soil. It can be grown from seeds in 100 to 120 days. Some growers start the seeds in trays and then transfer the young plants to the garden for an earlier harvest. Growers harvest broccoli when the clusters of flower buds are still green. If the heads are not harvested soon enough, the buds open into bright yellow flowers.
The kind of broccoli that is commonly grown in North America is called Italian broccoli or sprouting broccoli. This broccoli originally came from southern Europe.
