Britain Attempts to Give Cauliflower an Eco-Friendly Makeover

Cauliflower: it’s bland, has a less-than-appetizing appearance and doesn’t pack quite the same nutritional punch as its cousin broccoli. But, British farmers hope to help bring this vegetable into vogue in the UK by branding it as a homegrown, eco-friendly alternative to imported veggies. Vegetable production has fallen by almost a third in Britain over the last decade as consumers have turned to more ‘fashionable’ vegetables.

From The Telegraph:

The Brassica Growers Association point out that cauliflower grows all year round in Britain and is therefore a constant source of locally-produced, low carbon food.

The organisation are hoping to take advantage of recent campaigns led by celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver to get people eating less processed food and more fresh fruit and vegetables. Cauliflower is not only good in traditional dishes like cauliflower cheese but works well in more modern food like stir fries and curries.

Phillip Effingham, chairman of the BGA, said it was time to reinstate cauliflower to its rightful place in British cuisine.

He said: “Britain seems to have fallen out of love with the cauliflower over the last 10 years and sales have been declining steadily. We want to encourage people to rediscover this hugely versatile and healthy vegetable and help stop its decline.”

Poor, overlooked cauliflower. Will this campaign work? Maybe, if it’s marketed to consumers as a way to save money during the global recession. It probably won’t become the star of Britain’s best culinary dishes (do they even have any of those?) but perhaps the allure of eating local and fresh will give it a bit of a boost.

Link [The Telegraph]
Photo credit: Slash Food

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