Romanesco Broccoli: the best looking vegetable of them all

I love this vegetable.  This is the first time i've found it in Malta, and definitely not something you see in the shops everyday, although i honestly have no idea why because to me,  the flavour is of a superior cauliflower, and its looks... OMG!  :D

The delicious, fractally goodness that is this vegetable made me almost upset when chopping it up.  The whole of it is one beautiful fractal  starting from the tiny little budlets, that form into larger buds, that form into the vegetable itself.  The way the little florets are placed on the stalk are in a fractal pattern also.  Just found out this pattern is called a Logarithmic Spiral.

The colouring of it is great.  The photo doesn't do it justice - the green is much more intense - lighter and more buttery in colour than a broccoli though. 

Couldn't stop staring at it.  simply beautiful!

They are also known as broccoflower, Roman broccoli, coral broccoli.. and I'm sure other names, but essentially they are a type of cauliflower.

I'm a huge fan of the brassica family - recently saw Brussel sprouts actually sprouting which i thought was the most unexpected thing ever...

I mean seriously!  wtf!  crazy!!!

So anyway this post has turned into an ode to the brassica family - i love all of you, including you little brussel sprouts that were the bane of my existence (until i discovered that the simple act of NOT BLOODY WELL OVERCOOKING THEM makes them taste like awesome).. broccoli, broccolini, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, kohl rabi... i love you alll!!! :)

check out this pic here to see the variety of plants - and please note!!!!

All of these are the same species.  not the same family, the same SPECIES.  in the same way a chihuaha and a great dane are both domestic dogs, this plant has been cultivated since at least the roman/greek times and has several distinctive cultivars now.  Bless em all, i love them! :)

nom nom!!!  this time of year is definitely the time for the brassicas :D