Broccoli

Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowering head, stalk and small associated leaves are eaten as a vegetable; classified in the Italica cultivar group of the same species as cabbage and cauliflower, it typically has large, usually dark green flower heads, or florets, arranged in a tree-like structure branching from a thick, light green stalk, closely resembling the related cauliflower. It can be eaten raw or cooked and is a particularly rich source of vitamin C and vitamin K, and its characteristic sulfur-containing glucosinolate compounds, which include isothiocyanates and sulforaphane, are diminished by boiling but better preserved by steaming or other gentler cooking methods.