Cauliflower Guide: Is Cauliflower Man-Made

Of course, it’s not easy to answer a question raised on the originality or existence of cauliflower. Simply questioning will get us into an unexpected revelation that vegetables eaten at home can be man-made. Are you aware of the secrets behind this vegetable?

To answer this, firstly, I understand the history, making, and evolution of cauliflower and got my answer. So to help you clear the confusion, I have explained all my research. Let’s not waste time and start to learn and grow together.

Basic about cauliflower:

Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Brassica
Scientific name:	Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
Common name:	Cauliflower
Plant type:	Annual/biennial
Native habitat:	Asia
Size:	The plant is about 24-30 inches tall
Growing season:	Spring and fall
USDA hardiness zone:	2-11

Is Cauliflower Man-Made?

Yes, cauliflower is man-made and does exist in any category of plant that is used to grow. There are hundreds of plants that are created by humans by using the process of selective breeding. It is given the shape by human intervention. In the case of selective breeding has been done by a variety of wild Brassica oleracea over millennia and has produced nutritious vegetables named cauliflower. 

Meaning of  Selective Breeding:

Basically, selective breeding is a process chosen by human beings for producing hybrids in which they are used to cross to parents having the same or desirable characteristics which takes time to get the result. The result does possess similar characteristics to the crossed parents. It is done in the same way dog breeding is done.

Brief History Of Cauliflower

• Talking about the history of cauliflower was first mentioned in Pliny’s Natural History for describing the so-called “cyma” which are used as old ancestors of broccoli. 
• After this, it changed to Cyprus by arab botanists according to their origin. The vegetables started to become popular and were introduced all over Europe during the end of the 16th century. 
• Approximately 300 years ago vegetables were introduced in the United States.
• They began to gain popularity in the 19th century mainly after the 1920s as during this phase a large number of migrations took place for example many Italians were used to coming to the United States.

How Was Cauliflower Made?

Talking about the invention of cauliflower which is made from the cluster of flowers of wild cabbage or some say they have originated from broccoli or cabbage. It takes almost 5 to 10 years to notice any distinctive feature growing the vegetable.

They basically belong to Brassica oleracea species that used to go under genome transformation in the past. This is used for producing different vegetables based on the process of pollination. Doing this results in better harvesting, more delicious fruit, and good amount of edible flesh, etc. The process of selective breeding does produce either similar or completely different varieties of plants.

Different types of cauliflower

After knowing the category of the cauliflowers you can care for the vegetables properly according to their requirements which will help in increasing the production of the vegetables.

Here are some different varieties of cauliflowers. They are used to separate into 4 large categories such as:

• Italian.
• Aisan.
• Northern European annual.
• Northwest European biennial cauliflower.

Explanation:

Italian cauliflower:

• The Italian cauliflower is called Romanesco cauliflower or Broccoflower.
• They are hybridized from to variety such as broccoli and cauliflower.
•  They do look the same as cauliflower and are green in color which makes them different from others. 

Asian cauliflower:

• The Asian cauliflower is also named Taishan, Fioretto, Or Chinese cauliflower. 
• They do look similar to broccoli and more like cauliflower. 

Northern European Annual:

• These varieties are grown in North America and Europe. 
• The harvesting time for these varieties is in summer or fall. 

Northwest European biennial:

• These varieties of cauliflower were first developed in France in the 1800s.
• The harvesting time for these varieties is in the spring and fall seasons. 

Cauliflower Health Benefits:

The following are some common varieties of cauliflower such as:

• The cauliflower is a rich source of fiber, vitamins B6, C, and K, folates, manganese, potassium, etc.
• Eating them does help in weight loss as they contain fewer calories. 
• They are a rich source of water and fiber and you will feel full when you eat them.
• They are used to have antioxidants that protect from inflammatory diseases, lung, colon, prostate, breast cancer, heart diseases, and chronic ailments. 
• The cauliflower does contain nutrients that benefit the nervous system and keep us safe from cholesterol build-up in our liver, reducing heart disease, risk of Alzheimer’s, etc.
•  There is the presence of Sulforaphane that can help in lowering blood pressure, keep away from cancer, and protect the kidneys from any complications because of diabetes,  sugar, etc. 

Different colors of cauliflower:

The most common color you have seen the cauliflower is white but it is not compulsory as they are available in different colors such as purple, green, orange, and yellow. They do possess different health benefits according to the color of the cauliflowers.

Here are some different colors of cauliflower that have their own health benefits if we consume them:

Purple cauliflower:

• Purple cauliflower is rich in anthocyanins that are present in eggplants making them appear in deep purple.
• The anthocyanins present in the cauliflowers are beneficial for heart health, lesser artery stiffness, and control the blood pressure.

Yellow cauliflower:

• Make sure not to get confused as the aged cauliflowers are used to develop a slight yellow hue because of the presence of sun exposure.
• The yellow cauliflower that is used is uniformly yellow and tends to have elevated levels of lutein.

Orange cauliflower:

• The orange cauliflower due to the presence of beta-carotene is also available in carrots giving it an orange color.
• They are used to have powerful antioxidant activity having vitamin A that is useful for a healthy immune system.

Green cauliflower:

• The green cauliflowers are also called broccoflower which are rich in beta carotene.
• It does have the same benefits as orange cauliflowers do have.

Cauliflower Nutrition Facts (Per 100g Serving)

The following are some different tables showing the nutrition contained in cauliflower:

Macronutrients:

Calories	25 kcal
Carbohydrates	5 g
Sugars	1.9 g
Fiber	2 g
Proteins	1.9 g
Fats	0.3 g

Vitamins:

Vitamin C	48.2 mg (80% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI))
Vitamin K	15.5 µg (20% of RDI)
Vitamin B6	0.184 mg (14% of RDI)
Folate:	57 µg
Niacin:	1.9 g
Vitamin C	0.3 g
Riboflavin	0.060 mg (5% of RDI)
Thiamine	0.050 mg (4% of RDI)

Minerals:

Potassium	299 mg (6% of RDI)
Manganese	0.155 mg (7% of RDI)
Phosphorus	44 mg (6% of RDI)
Magnesium	15 mg (4% of RDI)
Calcium	22 mg (2% of RDI)
Iron	0.42 mg (5% of RDI)
Zinc	0.27 mg (2% of RDI)

Other Compounds:

Water

92g

Conclusion:

Hence the answer is yes cauliflower is man-made and can not be formed if a human does not get into it with Brassica oleracea. So I do really thank the farmers or gardeners for making efforts to make the vegetable in this form. There are many such vegetables that are man-made such as corn, bananas, strawberries, watermelons, lemon tree carrots, etc.

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