Tenderstem Broccoli
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Broccolini, Aspabroc, Bimi, baby broccoli or tenderstem broccoli, is a green vegetable similar to
broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the Brassicaceae, cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large Pseudanthium, flowering head, plant stem, stalk and small associated leafy gre ...
but with smaller
floret This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary ...
s and longer, thin stalks. It is a
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...
of broccoli and
gai lan Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''alboglabra'') is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. A ''B ...
(which is sometimes referred to as "Chinese kale" or "Chinese broccoli"), both
cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
groups of ''
Brassica oleracea ''Brassica oleracea'', also known as wild cabbage in its uncultivated form, is a plant of the family Brassicaceae. The species originated from feral populations of related plants in the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was most likely first cultiv ...
''. In the United States, the name ''Broccolini'' is a registered trademark of Mann Packing.


History

Broccolini was originally developed over eight years by the Sakata Seed Company of
Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a population of 3.7 million in 2023. It lies on Tokyo B ...
, as a hybrid of broccoli and
gai lan Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''alboglabra'') is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. A ''B ...
, rather than as the product of
genetic modification Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including th ...
. It was developed to create a milder-tasting vegetable which could grow in hotter climates than broccoli, to expand Sakata's broccoli market. Sakata partnered with Sanbon Incorporated in 1994 to begin growing the product commercially in Mexico under the name Asparation, implying a similarity to asparagus due to its slim, edible stem. After first becoming available in US markets in 1996, in 1998, Sakata began a partnership with Mann Packing Company in
Salinas, California Salinas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Salt pan (geology), Salt Flats") is a city in the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Monterey County, California, Monterey County. With a population of 163,542 in the 2020 Census, Salinas is ...
, and marketed the product as Broccolini. New forms of Broccolini continue to be developed, including purple broccolini.


Description

Broccolini has a similar structure to sprouting-type broccoli. It grows to , with a slender elongated stem that is long. It is annual or
biennial Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years. In particular, it can refer to: * Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and t ...
,
herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...
, and
glabrous Glabrousness () is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes, or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...
.


Culinary use

The entire vegetable (leaves, young stems, unopened flower shoots, and flowers) is edible. Its flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and
asparagus Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') is a perennial flowering plant species in the genus ''Asparagus (genus), Asparagus'' native to Eurasia. Widely cultivated as a vegetable crop, its young shoots are used as a spring vegetable. Description ...
, although it is not closely related to the latter. Common cooking methods include
sautéing Sautéing or sauteing (, ; , , 'jumped', 'bounced', in reference to tossing while cooking) is a method of cooking that uses a relatively small amount of oil or fat in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Various sauté methods exist. Descr ...
,
steaming Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking ha ...
,
boiling Boiling or ebullition is the rapid phase transition from liquid to gas or vapor, vapour; the reverse of boiling is condensation. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, so that the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to ...
, and
stir frying Stir frying ( zh, c= 炒, p=chǎo, w=ch'ao3, cy=cháau) is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries ...
. According to a 2005 study assessing how Australians cooked broccolini, the majority used steaming, with fewer choosing stir-frying, and a small minority ate it raw or in a salad.


Nutrition

Broccolini is a source of
vitamin A Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient. The term "vitamin A" encompasses a group of chemically related organic compounds that includes retinol, retinyl esters, and several provitamin (precursor) carotenoids, most not ...
,
vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...
and
vitamin K Vitamin K is a family of structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamers found in foods and marketed as dietary supplements. The human body requires vitamin K for post-translational modification, post-synthesis modification of certain proteins ...
,
folate Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...
and
glucosinolate Glucosinolates are natural components of many pungent plants such as mustard, cabbage, and horseradish. The pungency of those plants is due to mustard oils produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is chewed, cut, or otherwise damaged. ...
s. Broccolini contains a similar profile of
phenolic acid Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids ? are phenolic compounds and types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important nat ...
s to other vegetables in the Brassica family, most notably containing
flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...
s. Research into flavonoids in broccolini leaves has suggested they can inhibit the growth of some cancers. Such research has found that common cooking methods reduce broccolini's phenolic acid content, particularly boiling.


Production


Climate

Broccolini grows in cool climates and is intolerant of extreme climates. It is more sensitive to cold temperatures than broccoli but less sensitive to hot temperatures.


Growth and distribution

Broccolini takes 50–60 days to grow after being transplanted. It is harvested when the heads are fully developed but are not flowering. By cutting off the head, the harvest time is extended as new side shoots of smaller heads will grow. Unlike other
cruciferous vegetables Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae) with many genera, species, and cultivars being raised for food production such as cauliflower, cabbage, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli, Brusse ...
, which are harvested once per growth cycle, broccolini is harvested 3 to 5 times in a growth cycle, depending on growing conditions. Further unlike broccoli, the stalk is inedible; rather, the side shoots are harvested and consumed. After being harvested, the produce is cooled to , preventing the flower heads developing to maintain quality. Shelf life can be further extended with the use of
modified atmosphere packaging Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is the practice of modifying the composition of the internal atmosphere of a package (commonly food packages, drugs, etc.) in order to improve the shelf life. The need for this technology for food arises from ...
. In the US, broccolini is grown in California during the summer and in Arizona during the winter.


Produce reference

The International Federation for Produce Standards assigns it the
price look-up code Price look-up codes, commonly called PLU codes, PLU numbers, PLUs, produce codes, or produce labels, are a system of numbers that uniquely identify bulk produce sold in grocery stores and supermarkets. The codes have been in use since 1990, and ...
3277, "baby broccoli". It is also known as ''asparation'', ''asparations'', "sweet baby broccoli", ''broccoletti'', and ''broccolette'' "Italian Sprouting broccoli". It is sold under the registered trademarks Bimi and Tenderstem.


See also

*
Rapini Rapini (broccoli rabe or raab) () is a green cruciferous vegetables, cruciferous vegetable, with the leaves, buds, and stems all being edible; the buds somewhat resemble broccoli. Rapini is known for its bitter taste, and is particularly associ ...


References

{{Brassica oleraca Brassica oleracea Inflorescence vegetables