From the very wide variety of “Made in Italy” vegetables, broccoli deserves particular attention, thanks to all its precious nutritional benefits (despite being notoriously hated by children everywhere). In fact, broccoli is a true panacea for staying healthy, which is why it has spread across the world over time. But not many of us know that broccoli originated in Southern Italy. So, let’s take a closer look at the history of broccoli, which started all the way back in the Etruscan and ancient Roman period.
Broccoli was very popular with the Etruscans and ancient Romans
The cabbage family, to which broccoli belongs, was very much appreciated by the Etruscans, who enjoyed both its taste and its nutritional benefits. In fact, this ancient civilization of skilled sailors was dedicated to its cultivation even back then -- and it is precisely from the Etruscans (and their famous trade in the Mediterranean) that this particular cabbage variety reached the Phoenicians, the ancient Greeks and the islands now known as Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. The ancient Romans were also broccoli-lovers back then, as well – so much so that the famous naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) wrote about how they used to grow, harvest and cook broccoli. Here in the south of Italy, the first variety is said to have been invented – called the ‘broccolo calabrese’ (Calabrian broccoli) in Italian, which derives from the Latin ‘brachium,’ a term which means ‘arm, branch or sprout.’ It is said that the Romans used to boil broccoli with a mixture of spices, onion, wine and oil (as evidenced in the recipes of the gastronome Apicius). Or they would serve them with creamy sauces made with herbs or wine. But it has also been said that Romans used to eat them raw before banquets, so the body would better absorb the large quantities of alcohol consumed.
The tree-shaped superfood that conquered the world
The diffusion of broccoli outside Italy began in 1533, when Caterina de' Medici married Henry II and introduced this precious vegetable to the French court, which at the time also included Italian chefs. After France, it was England’s turn – where broccoli was nicknamed the “Italian asparagus,” as mentioned in the 1724 edition of Miller's Gardener's Dictionary. In both countries, broccoli became popular with the passage of time, but the initial reception was not so favorable – also because of its unpleasant sulfur smell emitted from the broccoli while cooking. Then in 1922, two immigrants from Messina brought broccoli seeds to California, creating the first plantation in the city of San Jose, which eventually contributed to their spread in other cities across North America, as well.
In the last 30 years, broccoli has now become a worldwide vegetable phenomenon, with consumption of it almost tripling, thanks to new cooking methods and discoveries of its health benefits, including its antioxidant properties that help prevent certain forms of cancer. The best-known and most popular varieties are the rosette-shaped Calabrian broccoli and the Romanesque broccoli, known for its pyramid shape with many small spiral rosettes.