Cauliflower by any other name, but a rose is a rose is a...

“Green Eggs and Ham was the story of my life. I wouldn't eat a thing when I was a kid, but Dr. Seuss inspired me to try cauliflower.” Jim Carrey
Cauliflower by any other name, but a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose… or is it? The cauliflower is one of the many varieties of the cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, and kohlrabi among the kinfolk. It is believed to have evolved in Asia Minor more than 2000 years ago, possibly as a primitive form of broccoli; China is the world’s largest producer, followed by India and southern Europe. In order for the heads to remain white, the leaves must cover the heads and keep out sunlight, which can cause the curd-like inflorescences to become bitter. From the latin caulis, which means to have grown from a woody stem, there are some wonderful cultivars that may have originated in Italy, though claimed by others. Purple cauliflower appeared in the early 19th century, a hybridized broccoli developed in Italy and South Africa; broccoflower has many camps: many Dutch and German horticulturist claim it is really Romanesco, in France, Chou Romanesco, more a broccoli masquerading as a cauliflower; in Italy, there is Broccoli Romanesco, which is more likely from northern Italy than Rome, but popular in Rome, nonetheless; orange cauliflower appeared, growing wild in Canadian marshes, in the 1970s and is very high in beta carotene.

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” Mark Twain