Romanesco broccoli (also known as broccolo romanesco, romanesque cauliflower, or simply romanesco) is in fact a cultivar of the cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis), not a broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica).[1] It is an edible flower bud of the species Brassica oleracea, which also includes regular
broccoli and
cauliflower. It is
chartreuse in color and has a striking form that naturally approximates a
fractal.[2] Romanesco has a nutty flavor and a firmer texture than white cauliflower or broccoli when cooked.[3][4]
Description
Romanesco superficially resembles a cauliflower, but it is chartreuse in color, with the form of a natural
fractal. Nutritionally, romanesco is rich in
vitamin C,
vitamin K,
dietary fiber, and
carotenoids.[5]
The
inflorescence (the bud) is
self-similar in character, with the branched
meristems making up a
logarithmic spiral, giving a form approximating a natural fractal; each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds, all arranged in yet another logarithmic spiral. This self-similar pattern continues at smaller levels. The pattern is only an approximate fractal since the pattern eventually terminates when the feature size becomes sufficiently small. The number of spirals on the head of Romanesco broccoli is a
Fibonacci number.[6]
The causes of its differences in appearance from the normal
cauliflower and
broccoli have been modeled as an extension of the preinfloresence stage of bud growth.[7] A 2021 paper has ascribed this phenomenon to perturbations of floral
gene networks that causes the development of
meristems into flowers to fail, but instead to repeat itself in a self-similar way.[8][9]
^Martin Kieffer; Michael P. Fuller; Anita J. Jellings (July 1998). "Explaining Curd and Spear Geometry in Broccoli, Cauliflower and 'Romanesco': Quantitative Variation in Activity of Primary Meristems". Planta. 206 (1): 34–43.
doi:
10.1007/s004250050371.
S2CID39949892.
The dictionary definition of
Romanesco at Wiktionary
Malatesta, M.; Davey, J.C. (1996). "Cultivar Identification Within Broccoli, Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Italica Plenck And Cauliflower, Brassica Oleracea Var. Botrytis L.". Acta Hortic. 407 (407): 109–114.
doi:
10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.407.12.