[Sca-cooks] Food Origins

[Christine Seelye-King]

> [snip]
>
> >Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean Foods
> >Broccoli (late period)
>
> Oooh!  Pet project of mine!  What evidence have you found to support this?
> I have a very strong suspicion that modern broccoli (as well as
> cauliflower) only remotely resembles anything available in period.
>
The first time I heard this was in a Medieval Vegetables class I took years
ago, and her main source at that time was a National Geographic article from
several years ago called "Our Vegetable Travelers" or something close to
that.  We went to the library and got a copy of the microfiche of it, so I
have it here somewhere if I must dig it out.  She stated that broccoli was
late period, known mostly in Italy.  On the Goode Cookery site, it says that
cauliflower was around during late Rennaissance, and that our modern
broccoli was something different from what was known to the Romans.  They
are both related to cabbages, which in many other forms were available at
various times, pretty much all over.  I'll have to go look up Mr. Root and
see what he says about it.
Christianna