Food The flowers, seeds, stalks, and tender leaves of many species of
Brassica can be eaten raw or cooked. Almost all parts of some species have been developed for food, including the root (
swede/rutabaga,
turnip), stems (
kohlrabi), leaves (
cabbage,
collard greens,
kale), flowers (
cauliflower,
broccoli,
romanesco broccoli), buds (
Brussels sprouts,
cabbage), and seeds (many, including
mustard seed, and oil-producing
rapeseed). Some forms with white or purple foliage or flowerheads are also sometimes grown for ornament.
Brassica species are sometimes used as food plants by the
larvae of a number of
Lepidoptera species.
Cooking Boiling substantially reduces the levels of broccoli
glucosinolates, while other cooking methods, such as
steaming,
microwaving, and
stir frying, have no significant effect on glucosinolate levels. == Species ==