Romanesco

Chou romanesco

What it is

Every spiral is made of smaller spirals of the same shape, all the way down — a natural fractal, and the bud count follows the Fibonacci sequence. It appeared in Roman market records in the sixteenth century, three hundred years before anyone had the mathematics to describe it.

In the kitchen

Keep the cooking short and the pieces large — its whole appeal is visual, and overcooking collapses the cones to mush.

Goes with

Olive oil Garlic Anchovy Lemon Almond Parmesan Chili pepper Capers

Same species

Baek-kimchi Broccoli Brussels sprout Cabbage Cauliflower Cavolo nero

In season alongside

Blue corn Fairy ring mushroom Green bean Leek Lamb’s lettuce Pak choi

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