Romanesco broccoli explained
Romanesco broccoli (also known as broccolo romanesco, romanesque cauliflower, or simply romanesco) is in fact a cultivar of the cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), not broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).[1] It is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea, which also includes regular broccoli and cauliflower. It is chartreuse in color and has a striking form that naturally approximates a fractal.[2] Romanesco has a nutty flavor and a firmer texture than white cauliflower or broccoli when cooked.[3] [4]
Description
Romanesco superficially resembles a cauliflower, but it is chartreuse in color, with the form of a natural fractal. Nutritionally, romanesco is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and carotenoids.[5]
Fractal structure
The inflorescence (the bud) is self-similar in character, with the branched meristems making up a logarithmic spiral, giving a form approximating a natural fractal; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another logarithmic spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at smaller levels. The pattern is only an approximate fractal since the pattern eventually terminates when the feature size becomes sufficiently small. The number of spirals on the head of Romanesco broccoli is a Fibonacci number.[6]
The causes of its differences in appearance from the normal cauliflower and broccoli have been modeled as an extension of the preinfloresence stage of bud growth.[7] A 2021 paper has ascribed this phenomenon to perturbations of floral gene networks that causes the development of meristems into flowers to fail, but instead to repeat itself in a self-similar way.[8] [9]
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Azpeitia. Eugenio. Tichtinsky. Gabrielle. Masson. Marie Le. Serrano-Mislata. Antonio. Lucas. Jérémy. Gregis. Veronica. Gimenez. Carlos. Prunet. Nathanaël. Farcot. Etienne. Kater. Martin M.. Bradley. Desmond. 2021-07-09. Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks. Science. en. 373. 6551. 192–197. 10.1126/science.abg5999. 0036-8075. 34244409. 2021Sci...373..192A . 235769692 . free. 10251/182273. free.
- Book: Kitchen Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful and Functional Culinary Garden . 42 . Cathy Wilkinson Barash . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 1998. 0395827493 .
- Book: The Beginner's Guide to Growing Heirloom Vegetables: The 100 Easiest-to-Grow, Tastiest Vegetables for Your Garden . Marie Iannotti . Timber Press . 2012. 9781604691887 .
- Book: The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes . 46 . James Briscione . Brooke Parkhurst . Houghton Mifflin Harcourt . 2018. 9780544809963 .
- Web site: Tufts Nutrition. Tufts Nutrition Top 10. Tufts Nutrition Magazine. 26 February 2020.
- Web site: Ron Knott. Fibonacci Numbers and Nature. https://web.archive.org/web/20181128225921/http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#veg. 28 November 2018. live. Ron Knott's Web Pages on Mathematics. 30 October 2010.
- Martin Kieffer. Michael P. Fuller. Anita J. Jellings. Explaining Curd and Spear Geometry in Broccoli, Cauliflower and 'Romanesco': Quantitative Variation in Activity of Primary Meristems. Planta. July 1998. 206. 1. 34–43. 10.1007/s004250050371. 39949892.
- Azpeitia. Eugenio. Tichtinsky. Gabrielle. Masson. Marie Le. Serrano-Mislata. Antonio. Lucas. Jérémy. Gregis. Veronica. Gimenez. Carlos. Prunet. Nathanaël. Farcot. Etienne. Kater. Martin M.. Bradley. Desmond. 2021-07-09. Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks. Science. en. 373. 6551. 192–197. 10.1126/science.abg5999. 0036-8075. 34244409. 2021Sci...373..192A . 235769692 . free. 10251/182273. free.
- Web site: Farcot. Etienne. Why do cauliflowers look so odd? We've cracked the maths behind their 'fractal' shape. 2021-07-20. The Conversation. en.
