Taiwanese researchers unveil quick-maturing purple cauliflower

Taiwan unveiled a new strain of purple cauliflower on Tuesday, which researchers said can be harvested 10-20 days earlier than ordinary cauliflower.

The vegetable, dubbed Tai Nong No.1, which needs only 55-65 days to mature, is the result of 33 years of effort, said Lo Hui-ling, an assistant researcher at the Fengshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch.

Through heat tolerance breeding, Lo told CNA, her team developed a strain that is "suitable for Taiwan's weather and Taiwanese tastes."

In accordance with the local cooking style of predominantly stir-frying, Taiwanese people prefer a crunchy texture, she said, adding that the new type is not as hard as those that are usually used for soup or gratin, she added.

Wang San-tai, the branch's vegetable crop department head, said the new vegetable has been authorized for local distributors and that mass production could be expected in 2014.

Purple cauliflower is more nutritious than the white varieties, as it is rich in anthocyanidin, a bioflavonoid that has various health benefits, Wang said.

Source: wantchinatimes.com