Why do we eat carrots but not broccolies? The reason is that English acquired the word broccoli in the late seventeenth century from Italian, and in Italian broccoli is already plural: the singular form is broccolo, which in turn is a diminutive of the word brocco, meaning stalk or shoot. The word broccoli therefore means little shoots, an apt description of the vegetable’s appearance. Further back in history, the Italian brocco evolved from brocchus, a Latin adjective meaning pointed; this Latin origin means that broccoli is related to several other words that also derive from brocchus, including brochette (a pointed, culinary skewer) and brochure (so named because brochures were originally stitched together with a pointed needle).
Broccoli is a vegetable that is obtainable in several forms, one of which is purple sprouting and is typically available during the months of March and April. Another variation of broccoli is green sprouting, which is commonly referred to as calabrese. The spears of calabrese are cooked in a similar fashion to asparagus. Broccoli is a rich source of vitamin C, providing approximately fifty percent of the recommended daily intake in an average serving size.