Rearing their little green florets in the coming months, we spoke spoke to Jade McKenzie from West Country Fruit Sales about this cute cabbage variety…
“Similar to turnips and swede, many people are confused by the difference between broccoli and calabrese. Whereas turnips and swede are completely different vegetables, broccoli and calabrese are actually two varieties of the same vegetable.
One of the main causes of confusion between the two stems from supermarkets branding and reselling both varieties under the same name; very convenient when trying to meet the demands of consumerism. Modern agriculture and international trading also has its part to play.
Calabrese has a much faster maturing rate compared with broccoli, and is more than likely to be the vegetable found in your fridge. While broccoli prefers colder conditions and is restricted by seasonality, due to modern breeding, both varieties are available throughout the year. This can make calabrese and broccoli much harder to differentiate.
Lucky for us brassica enthusiasts, there are some simple differences between calabrese and broccoli to help distinguish between the two.
Broccoli is known as a sprouting vegetable that flowers a white or purple head, while calabrese grows the vibrant green head we have all come to recognise. The head span between the two is also very different. Sprouting broccoli has a very small head span in comparison to its more popular competitor, which is often double in size. They also offer different textures, but with a similar taste. Broccoli has a tough texture with a mild but bitter taste, while calabrese has a very tender texture with a mild taste.
Whichever you prefer, there is no doubt that brassica vegetables and the wonderful varieties they come in sure to make a great addition to any plate.”