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Brassicas, also called cruciform vegetables because the leaves of a seedling form a cross, are a large group of vegetables, herbs, and spices.

Varieties

There are several species within the genus Brassica, and many of these have been selectively bred to yield a variety of plant products. Examples include:

• Brassica oleracea: kale, cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, gai-lan, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccolini, broccoflower

• Brassica rapa: Napa cabbage, turnip, rapini, komatsuna, bok choy, broccoli rabe

• Brassica tournefortii: Asian mustard

• Brassica napus: rapeseed, canola, rutabaga, Siberian kale

• Brassica juncea: Indian mustard, brown and leaf mustards, Sarepta mustard

• Brassica perviridis: tender green, mustard spinach

Characteristics

Several–though not all—brassicas have a bitter or peppery flavor,^[1] and when browned, many brassicas develop a sweet, nutty flavor.^[2] Care must, however, be taken when using moist heat cooking methods, as overcooking brassicas usually leads to the development of unpleasant sulfurous flavors.

Gallery

• 
  Cabbage
• 
  Yellow mustard flower
• 
  Black mustard seeds
• 
  Kohlrabi
• 
  Cauliflower
• 
  Rapeseed
• 
  Broccolini
• 
  Bok choy
• 
  Curly mustard
• 
  Kale
• 
  Red cabbage
• 
  Brussels sprouts

References

1. ↑ Wolke, Robert L. (2011-01-12). What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-07982-1.
2. ↑ López-Alt, J. Kenji (2015-09-21). The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-24986-6.