Cauliflower or Broccoli?

Winter is the season of vegetables in Bangladesh, as most of the fresh and delicious vegetables are available in this season. For many, one of the favourite parts of winter is the flower we all love to eat. Yes! Cauliflower it is. 

In the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder, a Roman author, a naturalist and natural philosopher, included what he called cyma among his descriptions of cultivated plants in Natural History. In the book he stated, "Ex omnibus brassicae generibus suavissima est cyma," which means "Of all the varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is cyma." It was introduced to India in 1822 from England by the British and this is how we have it in Bangladesh now. 

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable which belongs in the plant family 'Brassica Oleracea' in the genus Brassica, which is in the family Brassicaceae. Brassica oleracea also includes broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens, and kale, collectively called "cole" crops. 

As we have come to the cauliflower's family, now let's talk about its "brother", broccoli. This vegetable was becoming famous in our county. Broccoli cultivation in our county is increasing, though it was an unfamiliar vegetable to local farmers and they call it 'green cauliflower.' The availability of this vegetable is mainly increasing the popularity. 

The battle between cauliflower and broccoli is going on since forever now, some people believe that cauliflower is a better vegetable than broccoli whereas there are a fair number of consumers who begs to differ. 

Both broccoli and cauliflower are filled with lots of essential minerals and vitamins that are extremely important for the body but do you know which veggie has more nutrient content? 

Broccoli and cauliflower are both recommended for a healthy balanced diet. These veggies are similar but not the same, they have their individual health benefits. Although both are low in calories and high on common nutrients like folate, manganese, fibre, protein, and vitamins. The difference in the nutrient content and the way they both are cultivated makes a huge difference between these two vegetables.

Broccoli is a rich source of folate and has more calories than cauliflower. Cauliflower due to its low-calorie content is ideal for people who are trying to lose weight. Folate is beneficial for the formation of red blood cells which is needed for good heart health.

Broccoli is also high on calcium, and healthy calcium suppressesthe extra fat and helps in managing bone health. Both cauliflower and broccoli are rich in manganese, but broccoli has more content of manganese that helps in building the bone density. Therefore, broccoli is essential for people with arthritis and other bone issues.

Broccoli contents a lot of vitamins like A, C, K that makes it an ideal vegetable to complete a balanced diet. On the other hand, cauliflower does not contain vitamin A and the content of vitamin K and C is comparatively lower than broccoli. Vitamin A is extremely important for good eyesight whereas, and vitamin C is needed for healthy heart and skin. Vitamin C provides antioxidants that help to flush out the free radicals and toxins from the body. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble protein which helps in normal blood clotting and also it ensures good bone health.

Another benefit of broccoli over cauliflower is that it contents phytonutrients that help in the detox process. It also contains very little amount of saturated fatty acids; it also has a higher amount of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is needed for the body.

Both of these are rich in dietary fibres, that keeps you satiated for a longer period and also keeps a check on your blood sugar level. Broccoli and cauliflower are also rich source of protein. Consuming them daily can help in boosting your metabolism. Fibre and protein content in broccoli are higher than cauliflower which makes it a better choice for people who have digestive issues.

Finally, we can conclude that broccoli has an upper hand when it comes to its nutrient content but cauliflower is also essential for the body. 

Which food items can be made?
Besides making curries which are popular in our country, some other special items can be prepared with this two flower culm vegetable items.

Some food items can be prepared with cauliflower instead of grains of legumes like cauliflower rice which is a good replacement of white or brown rice and cauliflower bread. 

There are some special food items which can be made by broccoli also such as, broccoli baked, broccoli salad, chatpatti broccoli, broccoli Soup, broccoli pasta etc.