Cauliflower
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2008-07-15T09:45:45Z
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/* Commercial production */ better image aesethetics
{{Infobox Cultivar | name = Cauliflower
| image = Cauliflower.JPG
| image_width = 172px
| image_caption = Cauliflower, cultivar unknown
| species = ''[[Brassica oleracea]]''
| group = Botrytis cultivar group
| origin = Northeast Mediterranean
| subdivision = Many; see text.
}}
'''Cauliflower''' is one of several vegetables in the species ''[[Brassica oleracea]]'', in the family [[Brassicaceae]]. It is an [[annual plant]] that reproduces by seed. 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 [[pickling|pickled]].
Its name is a variation of [[brassica|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. The ''[[Brassica oleracea]]'' species is the same species as [[cabbage]], [[brussels sprout]]s, [[kale]], [[broccoli]] and [[collard greens]], though they are of different [[cultivar group]]s.
==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 [[pest (organism)|pests]] of cauliflower are [[cabbage worm]]s. [[Aphid]]s and [[flea beetle]]s will also attack cauliflower. Control of pests can be achieved by using biological controls such as using [[geranium]]s and [[borage]] {{Fact|date=March 2008}}as [[Companion planting|companion plants]] to repel pests, the ''[[Bacillus thuringiensis|Bacillus thuringiensis]]'' [[bacterium]], predatory insects or chemical pesticides. Diseases of cauliflower include black rot, club root and viral yellows. Crop rotation helps to prevent fungal and bacterial diseases. The [[Virus|viral]] diseases are primarily spread by insects.
===Commercial production===
[[Image:2005cauliflower and broccoli.PNG|thumb|210px|Cauliflower and [[broccoli]] output in 2005]]
[[FAO]] reports that in [[2005]], China and India were the top producers of cauliflower and broccoli. About half of all cauliflower is raised in China and one fourth in India. In Europe, production has been in Spain since about [[1990]]. In North America, production is primarily in [[California]]. The seasonal average [[Free On Board|f.o.b.]] shipping-point price for cauliflower in [[2004]] was $33.00 per 100 pounds ($0.73/kg) according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
{{-}}
{| border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%" class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"
! colspan=5|Top Ten Cauliflower Producers — 2005
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="30%" | Country
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Production (Int $1000)
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Footnote
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Production (MT)
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Footnote
|-
| {{PRC}} || 1,653,085 || C || 7,379,000 || F
|-
| {{IND}} || 1,086,960 || C || 4,800,000 || F
|-
| {{ITA}} || 116,174 || C || 513,025 ||
|-
| {{ESP}} || 99,276 || C || 438,400 ||
|-
| {{FRA}} || 89,470 || C || 395,100 ||
|-
| {{USA}} || 75,981 || C || 335,530 || F
|-
| {{MEX}} || 48,687 || C || 215,000 || F
|-
| {{PAK}} || 46,694 || C || 206,200 ||
|-
| {{POL}} || 43,026 || C || 190,000 ||
|-
| {{UK}} || 36,232 || C || 160,000 || F
|-
|colspan=5 style="font-size:.7em"|No symbol = official figure,F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial figure, C = Calculated figure;<br>
Production in Int $1000 have been calculated based on 1999-2001 international prices<br>
Source: [http://www.fao.org/es/ess/top/commodity.html?lang=en&item=393&year=2005 Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Devision]
|}
{{-}}
== Botanical varieties ==
Cauliflower and [[broccoli]] are the same [[Brassica oleracea|species]] and have very similar structures, though cauliflower replaces the green flower buds with white [[inflorescence]] [[meristem]].
===Major groups===
There are four major groups of cauliflower.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Crisp, P.|title=The use of an evolutionary scheme for cauliflowers in screening of genetic resources.|journal=Euphytica|date=1982|volume=31|page=725|pages=725|doi=10.1007/BF00039211}}</ref>
*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.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Swarup, V. and Chatterjee, S.S|title=Origin and genetic improvement of Indian cauliflower.|journal=Economic Botany|date=1972|volume=26|pages=381–393}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web| author=Farnham, M.|url =http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/wehner/vegcult/cauliflower.html |year=2007|title = Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America:Cauliflower| accessdate=2007-09-19}}</ref>
===Colors===
[[Image:orange cauliflower.png|Orange cauliflower|thumb|125px]]
*Orange cauliflower (''B. oleracea'' L. var. ''botrytis'') contains 25 times the level of [[Vitamin A]] of white varieties. This trait came from a natural [[mutant]] found in a cauliflower field in [[Canada]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Dickson, M.H., Lee C.Y., Blamble A.E.|title=Orange-curd high carotene cauliflower inbreds, NY 156, NY 163, and NY 165 |journal=HortScience|date=1988|volume=23|pages=778–779}}</ref> Cultivars include 'Cheddar' and 'Orange Bouquet'.
*Green cauliflower of the ''B. oleracea'' Botrytis group, is sometimes called [[broccoflower]]. 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's head is an example of a [[fractal]] image in nature, repeating itself in [[self-similarity]] at varying scales.<ref>{{cite web | author = John Walker | title = Fractal Food: Self-Similarity on the Supermarket Shelf | url = http://www.fourmilab.ch/images/Romanesco/ | accessmonthday = August 28 | accessyear = 2006 }}</ref> Green curded varieties include 'Alverda', 'Green Goddess' and 'Vorda'. Romanesco varieties include 'Minaret', and 'Veronica'.
[[Image:PurpleCauliflower.jpg|Purple cauliflower|thumb|125px|left]]
*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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?SEQ_NO_115=179842|title=Anthocyanin in Cauliflower}}</ref> 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==
{{nutritionalvalue | name=Cauliflower, raw (edible parts) | kJ=103 | protein=2 g | fat=0 g | carbs=5 g | fiber=2.5 g | | sugars=2.4 g | iron_mg=0.44 | calcium_mg=22 | magnesium_mg=15 | phosphorus_mg=44 | potassium_mg=300 | zinc_mg=0.28 | vitC_mg=46 | pantothenic_mg=0.65 | vitB6_mg=0.22 | folate_ug=57 | thiamin_mg=0.057 | riboflavin_mg=0.063 | niacin_mg=0.53 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }}
Cauliflower is low in fat, high in [[dietary fiber]], [[folate]], water and [[vitamin C]], possessing a very high [[nutrient density|nutritional density]]. As a member of the [[brassica]] family, cauliflower shares with [[broccoli]] and [[cabbage]] several [[phytochemical]]s which are beneficial to human health, including [[sulforaphane]], an anti-cancer compound released when cauliflower is chopped or chewed. 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.<ref>[http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/25/11/2257 Carcinogens at Oxford Journal]. Retrieved [[December 14]], [[2006]]</ref> Cauliflower also contains other [[glucosinolate]]s besides sulfurophane, substances which may improve the [[liver]]'s ability to detoxify carcinogenic substances.<ref name="WHF">[http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13 World's Healthiest Foods article on Cauliflower]. Retrieved [[December 14]], [[2006]]</ref> A high intake of cauliflower has been found to reduce the risk of aggressive [[prostate cancer]].<ref>{{cite journal | last = Kirsh | first = VA | coauthors = Peters U, Mayne ST, Subar AF, Chatterjee N, Johnson CC, Hayes RB | pmid = 17652276 | title = Prospective study of fruit and vegetable intake and risk of prostate cancer | journal = Journal of the National Cancer Institute | volume = 99 | issue = 15 | pages = 1200–9 | year = 2007 | doi = 10.1093/jnci/djm065 }}</ref>
== Cooking ==
Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, [[Fried cauliflower|fried]], steamed or eaten raw. When cooking, the outer leaves and thick stalks are removed, leaving only the florets. The leaves are also edible, but are most often discarded.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://extension-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/newsletters/vpmnews/apr02/art4apr.html|last = Stephens | first = MJ | title = Secondary Edible Parts of Vegetables | journal = Vegetarian | volume = 5 | year = 1998}}</ref> 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]].
[[Low carbohydrate diet|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]].
== Fractal dimension ==
As with many vegetables, the cauliflower has a distinct [[fractal dimension]]. The fractal dimension of cauliflower is predicted at about 2.88.<ref>{{cite journal| last = | first = | authorlink = Sang-Hoon Kim| coauthors = | year = | month = | title = Fractal Structure of a White Cauliflower| journal = Journal of Korean physical society | volume = 46 | issue = 2 | pages = 474–477 | id = | url = http://icpr.snu.ac.kr/resource/wop.pdf/J01/2005/046/R02/J012005046R020474.pdf | accessdate = 2008-06-05 | quote = }}</ref>
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* {{cite journal|author=Sharma, S.R, Singh, P.K., Chable, V. Tripathi, S.K.|title=A review of hybrid cauliflower development|journal=Journal of New Seeds|date=2004|volume=6|page=151-193|doi=10.1300/J153v06n02_08|pages=151}}
==External links==
* [http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Brassica+oleracea+cauliflower+and+broccoli&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Brassica oleracea (cauliflower and broccoli)'']
* [http://arxiv.org/pdf/cond-mat/0411597 Fractal dimensions of a green broccoli and a white cauliflower (Kim)] (PDF)
* [http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/2004/040412caulif.html Orange Cauliflower Development]
[[Category:Inflorescence vegetables]]
[[Category:Brassica]]
[[Category:Cultivars]]
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