Almost all diet fads and clean living influencers recommend cauliflower as the ultimate carb alternative. That’s why it’s been dubbed the “King of Vegetables”.
But there’s plenty of other reasons why it deserves this title. Let’s explore what makes this cruciferous vegetable arguably the greatest of them all!
Cauliflower 101
The cauliflower is a cool-season cruciferous vegetable, widely sought after for its versatility in the culinary world. It has a globe-shaped head with creamy white florets attached to the main stem.
Here’s a summary of the characteristics of a cauliflower plant:
| Scientific Name | Brassica oleracea |
| Common Name | • Broccoflower • Calabrese • Cauliflower • Romanesco broccoli |
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Life Cycle | Annual |
| Propagation | Seed |
| Region of Origin | Western Europe |
| Maintenance | Medium |
| Light | Full Sun |
| Soil | • Loam • Silt • Good Drainage • Moist |
| Hardiness Zones | 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b |
| Edibility | • Stem • Flower buds • Flower • Leaves |
As a cool-weather plant, the cauliflower needs a consistent temperature of 16 °C (60 °F). It’s also best grown in moist loam soil with full sun to ensure the flower heads bloom perfectly.
As it matures, a firm cluster of creamy white flower heads grows, finally looking like the cauliflower we all know.
Cauliflowers are also 100% edible. From its stem to flowers, you can eat them any way you like it!
Cauliflower is usually sliced and broken into florets. You can eat it raw, boil, steam, saute, fry, and even pickle cauliflower.
Today, it’s one of the most popular low-carbohydrate and gluten-free alternatives to flour and rice.
These just show how versatile cauliflower is and why it earned its spot as one of the top vegetables in the world.
Is cauliflower man-made?
Cauliflower is a man-made vegetable created through selective breeding of the wild cabbage plant Brassica oleracea.
Farmers bred cauliflower out of the flower clusters of Brassica oleracea. Through generations, they planted all the cauliflower produce with the desirable traits to create the sweet yet nutty-tasting cauliflower we know today.
How was cauliflower created?
Cauliflower was created through a process called selective breeding. This method involves selecting desirable characteristics to be bred together and reproducing them to achieve the desired version of the plant.
In the case of cauliflowers, ancient farmers first separated cauliflowers with large flower buds that did not open and which had a sweet taste from those that did not.
They replanted these cauliflowers with the traits that they wanted until the cauliflower that we know today came about.
As you can see, cauliflower was not created overnight. It took thousands of years and generations before the desired species of cauliflower started to emerge, making its way from farms to tables.
What are the benefits of cauliflower?
Cauliflower is packed with fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants that keep our bodies healthy.
It helps keep the digestive system healthy, promotes weight loss, prevents cancer, maintains sharp memories, boosts immunity, and strengthens bones.
Let’s explore these benefits one by one!
1. Nutrient-Packed
Although they’re low in calories, cauliflower is filled with vitamins and minerals to meet our bodies’ daily needs.
Here are the nutrients that you get in one cup (128 grams) of cauliflower:
| Nutrient | Amount in 1 cup of Cauliflower |
| Fiber | 3 grams |
| Magnesium | 4% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) |
| Phosphorus | 4% of the RDI |
| Pantothenic acid | 7% of the RDI |
| Manganese | 8% of the RDI |
| Potassium | 9% of the RDI |
| Vitamin B6 | 11% of the RDI |
| Folate | 14% of the RDI |
| Vitamin K | 20% of the RDI |
| Calories | 25 grams |
| Vitamin C | 77% of the RDI |
2. Keeps the Digestive System Healthy
Cauliflower is high in water and fiber content. These are important in preventing constipation and promoting a healthy digestive system.
Fiber feeds the healthy bacteria in your gut. As a result, it helps reduce inflammation and lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
3. Promotes Weight Loss
Cauliflower is high in fiber but low in calories, having only 25 calories in one cup.
So how does it help you lose weight? Fiber helps make your stomach feel full while reducing your calorie intake and lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
This is why cauliflower makes an excellent low-calorie substitute for rice and a superfood for losing weight, especially for those suffering from obesity.
4. Prevents Cancer
Cauliflower contains indole-3-carbinol (I3C), an antioxidant that helps reduce oxidative stress and is known to prevent cancer.
It also has sulforaphane which causes cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower to taste bitter. But that’s a small price to pay because sulforaphane helps inhibit or delay the progression of cancer cells in the body.
Studies have shown that I3C and sulforaphane reduce the risk of breast, reproductive, lung, colon, and other types of cancers. So, thank you, cauliflower.
5. Maintains Sharp Memories
Tell your parents to stock up on cauliflower, because it has a vitamin-like factor called “choline”! This is the main chemical that helps you in learning and keeps your memory sharp.
Choline helps maintain the integrity of cell membranes that transmit nerve impulses, assist in fat absorption, and reduce chronic inflammation. So, let’s keep cauliflower in our diets so we can remember all these benefits it gives us!
6. Boosts Immunity
Dietary fiber helps regulate the immune system and inflammation. In fact, high fiber intake has been found to lower the risk of developing:
- Gastrointestinal diseases
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Strone
- Coronary heart diseases
- Hypertension.
That’s a lot of diseases we can keep away from just by having cauliflower in our meals!
7. Strengthens Bones
Every cup of cauliflower contains 20% of your daily vitamin K needs. Vitamin K improves your body’s calcium absorption.
A high vitamin K intake has also been associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis and bone fracture. Clearly, what doesn’t kill you, like cauliflower, makes your bones stronger!
What are the risks of overeating cauliflower?
Too much cauliflower might cause flatulence and blood clotting.
Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflowers release glucosinolates – a sulfur-containing compound that causes bloating and flatulence.
Consuming a high amount of cauliflower causes the buildup of gas in the digestive system, which can lead to abdominal discomfort.
So if you’re trying to incorporate cauliflower in your diet, add them gradually to help your body adjust to the high fiber and glucosinolates intake.
And while vitamin K might help the blood clot, it’s a great risk for those who are taking blood-thinning medicines like warfarin or coumadin. If you’re taking them, please ease up on your cauliflower intake!
Because of its power to affect blood clotting, an injury has actually been named “Cauliflower Ear.” This is when there’s a swelling of the ear due to disruption of blood supply to the ear cartilage.
Is cauliflower a carbohydrate?
Cauliflower is a low-carbohydrate vegetable. Every cup of cauliflower contains only 5 grams of carbohydrates, making it a perfect alternative for those trying to lose weight or following diabetic diets.
Here’s how cauliflower compares with other starchy food in terms of carbohydrates:
| Starchy Food | Grams per Cup |
| Cauliflower | 5 |
| Potato | 12 |
| Bread | 17 |
| Pasta | 25 |
| Cereal | 25 |
| Corn | 29 |
| Rice | 45 |
How do you grow cauliflower?
Cauliflowers are grown and propagated by their seeds. They are best sown in cool environments during spring or fall in moist loam soil.
The plant needs a consistent temperature of 16 °C (60 °F) and must be placed where it gets full sun or at least 6 hours of sunlight daily.
You can also apply compost and mulch on the soil will also help enrich and retain moisture. Then, once you see the cauliflower head grow 6 to 8 inches across, they’re ready for harvesting.
Here’s an overview of the process!
1. Planting
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Things You Need | • Cauliflower seeds • Loam soil • Water • Mulch |
| How To Do 1. Sow the cauliflower seeds half an inch deep in the loam soil. Arrange the seeds in rows 18 inches apart. 2. Water the plant daily until germination. 3. Add a 3-inch layer of mulch on the top of the soil to conserve moisture. |
2. Growing
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Things You Need | • Water • Garden hoe • String or twine |
| How To Do 1. Water the cauliflower plant once or twice a week. Make sure it has 2 inches of water per square foot every week. 2. Using a garden hoe, cut the weeds below the soil surface so they will not disrupt plant growth. 3. Blanch the cauliflower once the cauliflower head becomes the size of a large egg. This is done by gathering the outer leaves and tying them over the head of the cauliflower with a string. |
3. Harvesting
| Difficulty | Easy ●○○○○ |
| Duration | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Things You Need | Knife |
| How To Do 1. Measure if the flowerhead is 6 to 8 inches in diameter. 2. Cut the head of the cauliflower with a large knife. Keep some leaves around the head to keep it protected. |
4. Storing
| How To Store Cauliflower Option 1: Wrap the cauliflower in plastic and place it in the refrigerator, and it will last for 2 weeks. Option 2: Cut the cauliflower into florets, seal it in a plastic bag, and put it in the fridge. It will last for 1 week. Option 3: Blanch the florets and freeze them. This will extend their shelf life up to 1 year. |
What are the kinds of cauliflowers?
1. Northern European Annual Cauliflowers
These cauliflowers are grown and harvested in North America and Germany during summer and fall. The orange cauliflower, for example, came from a mutant plant in Canada.
2. Northwest European Biennial Cauliflowers
This type of cauliflower was first created in France in the 19th century. Today, these cool-season vegetables are harvested during the months of May or November.
3. Italian Cauliflowers
This is the green-colored cauliflower version easily mistaken for broccoli.
They’re actually a hybrid between broccoli and cauliflower. That’s why they are also known as the broccoflower or Romanesco cauliflowers.
4. Asian Cauliflowers
These are also called Taishan, Fioretto, or Chinese cauliflowers. They are long-stemmed heritage cultivars and more flavorful than their European counterparts.
FAQs
The following plants or cultivars were developed from the different parts of Brassica oleracea:
• Cabbage – selection from terminal buds
• Brussels sprouts – selection from lateral buds
• Kohlrabi – selection from the stem
• Kale – selection from the leaves
• Broccoli – selection from the stems and flowers.
One cup (100 grams) of cauliflower contains 25 calories.
Cauliflower and broccoli are different, although they come from the same family, Brassicaceae. Broccoli grows taller with thick stems and coarse green florets, while cauliflowers are shorter and with creamy white florets.
Cauliflower is not a genetically-modified organism (GMO). Although man-made, it was created through natural and artificial selection and breeding, not by tweaking its genome in the laboratory.
