Good question. Cauliflower actually comes in four colors: white, orange, purple, and green. White cauliflower, of course, is the original version. The edible portion of cauliflower is an immature inflorescence of meristems; broccoli, which is very closely related, consists of immature flower buds. Originally, cauliflower was bred to be white by tying leaves over the edible portion, preventing the formation of chloroplasts and therefore chlorophyll, in the same manner that white asparagus is made. Eventually, cauliflower varieties were developed that completely lack the ability to grow chloroplasts even if they are exposed to light. Purple, orange, and green cauliflowers haven’t been genetically engineered; rather, they are natural mutants of white cauliflower. Orange cauliflower contains high levels of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. Purple cauliflower contains anthocyanin, a healthful antioxidant responsible for the purple color of cabbage and red onions, among other foods. Green cauliflower, also called broccoflower, apparently comes in several varieties, some of which could be mutants of cauliflower that produce chlorophyll or a hybrid between cauliflower and broccoli (they’re both members of the same species). Besides looking cool, colored cauliflower is actually more nutritious because of the aforementioned pigments. Plant pigments are often powerful antioxidants and anti-cancer agents, more the reason to eat colorful foods.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 02:40:13 +0000