Broccoli

By NateDoggyDogg
  • 501

    The Beginning

    Broccoli originated in Italy off of the Mediterranean. It has been eaten there since the time of the ancient Romans in the 6th Century BC.

  • Introducing Broccoli

    Native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, sprouting broccoli was cultivated in Italy in ancient Roman times and was introduced into England about 1720 and to America probably in colonial times.

  • Thomas Jefferson and Broccoli

    Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, was a fan of broccoli, importing the seeds from Italy to plant at Monticello. He recorded planting the vegetable there as early as May of 1767.

  • Statistics

    In 2013, global production of broccoli was 22.3 million tonnes, with China and India together accounting for 76% of the total. Secondary producers, each having about 0.5 million tonnes annually, were Spain, Mexico and Italy.