I love reading quarterly issues of Gastronomica, a journal published by UC Berkeley on food and culture. Their motto borrows a phrase from Gertrude Stein, “Nothing is more interesting than that something that you eat,” which I think is quite true, don’t you agree?

sautéed broccolini with garlic and crushed red pepper

Gastronomica’s articles are always exciting. In this last issue, for instance, there was something controversial, ‘Prescribing Pork in Israel;’ another called ‘The Sweetshops of Kolkata;’ one about Piedad Yorba, the first female celebrity chef and proprietress of a famous Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles in the late Nineteenth Century and an intriguing story about broccolini, or baby broccoli.

Baby broccoli is a hybrid vegetable created by the Japanese company Sakata Seed, Inc., the world’s biggest broccoli seeds producer. The idea was to expand sales and generate more profit by developing a new broccoli plant that had tender stalks, sweeter flavor, and was more heat tolerant. The company selected gai lan, or Chinese broccoli, which had the desired features, to cross with “ordinary” broccoli. After more than seven years of hand pollination trial-and-error, broccolini was born!

Naturally, after all that work, the Sakata Company wanted to sell this new-and-improved broccoli at a higher price. Because of its tender, bright green stalks, they initially decided to associate the new plant with asparagus, implying a connection with this ‘nobler’ vegetable. Therefore, they named the thing asparation. But it didn’t catch on. After a complex series of meetings and negotiations, the new name, broccolini, arrived. The rest is history.

There’s a lot more detail in the article, of course. I urge you to get a copy of the magazine if you’re interested. Perhaps you’ll subscribe, too.

Trader Joe’s sells broccolini under the label, Baby Broccoli. I’m not so sure about that name. Eating babies sounds so not cool.

a family affair: broccoli, broccolini and gai lan

Anyway, after reading the article I rushed out immediately for some gai lan, broccoli and broccolini. We cooked them all throughout the week so more to come. Today my ‘asparation’ is to feature broccolini.

sautéed broccolini with garlic and crushed red pepper

1 bunch baby broccoli, broccolini or asparation (they’re interchangeable)
3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
fresh black pepper to taste
2 tbsp water
Kosher salt to taste
crushed red pepper to taste

Add two tablespoons of olive oil, garlic, salt and baby broccoli to a saucepan and sauté on high heat until aromatic. Add water, cover pan and cook for about 7 minutes. Pierce broccolini stems with a fork. If tender then it’s ready, otherwise add another tablespoon of water and continue cooking with the pan covered. Drizzle remaining olive oil over it. Serve as a side dish. Delicious!