The best part of a broccoli is...

pedicatio

Alton Brown says the stalk is the best part, because it has "all the flavors", implying that the majority, if not all, of the flavor compounds is in there.

I think he has a weird palate. For me, aside from the bitterness (which disappears almost completely when cooked with salt), the stalk is otherwise tasteless. It has a nice crunch though. I think the best part is the flower heads. It is sweet and savory at the same time, some sort of nuttiness.

Who's right?

HOLLISTER GUY

the best part of broccoli is di rape

culinaryoverlord

I like the white part of the stalk, it actually makes very nice pickles.

pedicatio

Does the white part have any interesting flavor?

culinaryoverlord

It's actually quite bland, but very crisp, kind of like a water chestnut.

JustAnotherAsshole

If it's straight up broccoli, I only eat the green tips, and a small portion of the stalk just below the tips.

dr rocker

Calabrese is normally the least bitter and I eat pretty much all of the plant that grows above ground - calabrese is heading broccoli. Sprouting broccoli I eat the flowers and probably around 6" of the stalk with leaves. When you cut off one sprout, more grow - same with Cima di Rapa, although that is a little more bitter.

Harlequin

I don't particularly enjoy the stalk while eating broccoli, the flowers are alright however. As a general rule I prefer cauliflower and cheese though.

TheWitchDoctor

The best part of broccoli is the motherfucking leaves part at the top of the tree. Fuck the stem. :mad:

Brb gonna go make some broccoli with cheese. :thumbsup:

Darth Beaver

The best part of broccoli is the cheese.

The second best part are the florets.

angryonion

I hate that shit:mad:
It smells funny in a bad way.

pedicatio

angryonion wrote: »

I hate that shit:mad:
It smells funny in a bad way.

Depends on how you cook it.
I always have mine stir-fried with garlic and fish sauce (Thai fish sauce is like Asian version of Worchestershire sauce).

Darth Beaver

pedicatio wrote: »

Depends on how you cook it.
I always have mine stir-fried with garlic and fish sauce (Thai fish sauce is like Asian version of Worchestershire sauce).

I wonder if that is anything like the fish sauce they used to serve with the spring rolls at the Vietnamese joint I used to eat at in Greensboro, NC?

pedicatio

"Southeast Asians generally use fish sauce as a cooking sauce. However, there is a sweet and sour version of this sauce which is used more commonly as a dipping sauce (see nước chấm). In Thailand, fish sauce is used in cooking and is also kept in a jar at the table for use as a condiment."

Fish sauce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Ngan_Pyar_Yay.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0b/Ngan_Pyar_Yay.jpg/220px-Ngan_Pyar_Yay.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/0/0b/Ngan_Pyar_Yay.jpg/220px-Ngan_Pyar_Yay.jpg

"Nước chấm is a common name for a variety of Vietnamese "dipping sauces" that are served quite frequently as condiments."

Nước chấm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:Balsamico-1.jpg" class="image"><img alt="Stub icon" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/Balsamico-1.jpg/35px-Balsamico-1.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/7/7e/Balsamico-1.jpg/35px-Balsamico-1.jpg

I think Wiki says they are not the same. Anyway, I use Thai fish sauce because Oyster sauce is too overpowering. I don't use much, just a little bit, as it is quite pungent. Thai fish sauce is like light soy sauce, but with a fishy smell.