Do not adjust your set. That cauliflower on your plate really is orange. After its discovery in a Canadian marsh more than 30 years ago, the brightly hued crucifer is finally hitting the U.S. market. The cauliflower hybrid now being sold in garden catalogs was developed by breeders at the New York State Agricultural Station in Geneva, part of Cornell University. Michael Dickson, the breeder who led its development, says orange cauliflower has caught the attention of restaurant chefs because of its superior appearance. The hybrid also has about 25 times more vitamin A than its pale cousin, making it more appealing to health-conscious consumers. Dickson says he expects the vegetable to do well.
"It's another variant farmers can grow and at this point it will probably sell a little better because it's new and looks attractive," he said. "The color stays well after cooking too. I think it will be quite popular. We did test marketing several years ago and it was quite well received."
Dickson started developing the vegetable in 1981 after researchers from the National Vegetable Research Center in England who were familiar with his work forwarded him some seeds from the mutant plant, first found in the Bradford Marsh north of Toronto in 1970. Dickson said the mutant was smaller and not as flavorful as white cauliflower, so it had to be crossbred with standard cauliflower. Development was tricky, partly because cauliflower hadn't been developed as a hybrid before.
"We had hybrid cabbage, but cauliflower is a different kettle of fish," said Dickson, who retired in 1995. "If you don't have the right parents, you don't necessarily get a nice color, you get a pale, pukey color."
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBG7QX4GVD.html
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
