Learn all about Romanesco, from what it is, and why it's better than roasting cauliflower.
The Brassica family of vegetables is one that contains many different members - like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. There is one member of the family I recently discovered called Romanesco. I first heard of it on the Food Network show, Chopped. I bought some for the first time at my local farmer's market, which might be the only place a lot of people will find it.
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❓ What is Romanesco?
Is it broccoli or is it cauliflower? I think it has more in common with cauliflower, but unique enough to be it's own separate veggie. It grows a big head like cauliflower and has buds that are dormant like cauliflower. Yet it is green like broccoli. Some like to call it Broccoflower, but the name is usually more often associated with green colored cauliflower.
Romanesco is easy to spot by it's spiky appearance. Kind of looks like something from another world. We can go back to the 1600s to find records of Romanesco being grown in Italy, which is why you might also hear it called Roman cauliflower.
👅 What Does It Taste Like?
The best way to describe it is that it tastes like cauliflower but it is more tender like broccoli, making it an good option for raw eating. It tends not to have the hint of bitterness you can find in broccoli and cauliflower. It also has a pleasant nuttiness to it.
RELATED - What Does Purple Cauliflower Taste Like?
🔥 Why Roasting It is Better
The best way to cook Romanesco is to roast or air fry.
Romanesco is better to roast than cauliflower because the points of the florets get crispy when you roast it, just like the tips of asparagus do.
Here are the instructions for roasting:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the romanseco into bite sizes pieces.
- Place onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes until browned and tender.
While roasting is great, I actually prefer to air fry it. Why? Because it's quicker and I don't need to turn on my oven to do it.
Here are the instructions for cooking in the air fryer:
- Cut the Romanesco into bite sized pieces.
- Place it into your air fryer basket.
- If your air fryer is small, work in two batches for better browning.
- Liberally spray the Romanesco with oil and season with salt to taste.
- Air fry at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Then shake the basket.
- Continue air frying for 3-5 additional minutes or until the Romanesco has browned and the stems are soft.
- If you think it's browning too fast, but the stems are still not tender enough, reduce the heat to 375 degrees to finish up the cooking.
🚂 Can You Steam It
Yes, one way to cook it is to steam it in a frying pan. Put a couple inches of water in the bottom. Once the water has boiled off, melt some butter and add some chopped garlic. Once tender you can pull it and enjoy.
📅 What Time of Year Is Romanesco Available?
Romanesco like to finish growing in cold weather. So it's peak season is in October. If you live in a warm climate, it makes for a good winter crop. I picked up some before in January at a farmers market in southern California.
🤢 How to Know if It's Bad?
Concerned about whether or not your Romanesco is still good to eat? Here are some things to look for:
- Smells bad
- Slimy
- Fuzzy mold
Some black spots you may see on the Romanesco could just be from oxidation. It's likely still ok but you could cut those parts off if it really concerns you.
Since Romanesco is so closely related to cauliflower it has some of the same issues when going bad. Check out my post on How to Tell if Cauliflower is Bad.
🌱 Where I Can Get Seeds So I Can Grow My Own?
Many seed companies sell Romanesco seeds. Here some links to a few:
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