Things you didn't know about the Brussels sprout!!
You can now get sprouts in sausages, on pizza and even made into a dip.
But why do so many people still hate them, what is their connection with Belgium and how should you be cooking them?
THE STORY OF SPROUTS
The forerunner to the modern Brussels sprout originated in Iran and Afghanistan and was first cultivated by the ancient Romans. The name was coined when it became hugely popular in Belgium during the 16th century.
A quirk in the Belgian laws states that they are legally allowed to throw Brussels sprouts at tourists.
Like these other vegetables sprouts are extremely good for you. They are high in Vitamins A and C, folic acid and fibre and they can help to guard against cancer of the stomach and colon.
They may look the same to most of us but there are actually more than 100 different varieties of sprout.
Christmas isn’t the best time for slimming but Brussels sprouts are great for dieters. A typical one contains just eight calories.
They are notorious for causing flatulence but, believe it or not, 5,000 years ago ancient Chinese doctors used them as a medicine to treat bowel disorders.
Every year in the UK they grow 82,000 tons of Brussels sprouts. This requires sprout fields covering the equivalent of 3,240 football pitches.
This is all the more impressive given that there are 46 diseases and pests out to get them. As a result growing them organically in the UK is virtually impossible.
They were adopted as a Christmas vegetable because they grow best in colder conditions but due to modern farming technology they are now available all year round.
In fact two thirds of our sprout consumption occurs outside the festive season.
The record for growing the heaviest Brussels sprout belongs to Bernard Lavery from Rhondda Cynon Taff. In October 1992 he grew a sprout weighing 18lb 3oz.
They might not live up to Mr Lavery’s efforts but warm weather this year has led to sprouts 20 per cent larger than usual.
A 2011 study by Cornwall College found that our genes play a role in whether or not we love a sprout. Around 50 per cent of the world’s population have a genetic mutation which means they don’t taste the bitterness in sprouts.
Barnsley can claim to be Britain’s sprout capital according to sales research by supermarket Morrisons. So far this year the residents of the Yorkshire town have eaten almost 1.4 million of them.
As a nation we eat more Brussels sprouts than any other country in Europe and our sprout industry is worth £54million a year.
The world record for most sprouts eaten in a minute belongs to Sweden’s Linus Urbanec. In 2008 he gobble 31 in 60 seconds.
In 2009 Esther Rantzen had a go at breaking his record. Despite being a big fan of the vegetable she could only manage five.
During their honeymoon in the Seychelles in 2011 the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tucked into Brussels sprouts.
Earlier this month it was discovered that one sprout-hating pupil at Monkfield Park Primary School in Cambridgeshire has been smuggling unwanted sprouts into their classmates’ bags to get out of eating them.
Sprouts contain high levels of sulphur-containing chemicals to discourage animals from eating them. This is what gives them the taste that so many people dislike.
In June 2009 Brussels sprouts were banned from HMS Bulwark. Commanding Officer Wayne Keble described them as “the devil’s vegetable”.
Source: www.express.co.uk
