I didn’t like sprouts as a child and I must admit to a degree of ambivalence even now as an adult. I think they are generally better-cooked these days so that they arrive at the table crunchy rather than mushy (everything seemed to be boiled to destruction when I was young). I am just not convinced that they are fundamentally tasty. They appear on the plate on Christmas Day as a treat and my heart always sinks slightly. I do eat them, sometimes coming back for seconds, but I am not sure that I really like them very much. They can be much enhanced with garlic, bacon or other tasty things. Plain sprouts as they were in my childhood are much less appealing.
Your taste buds change as you get older so perhaps the flavours that were especially unpleasant to me as a child are no longer quite so obvious. Another possible reason for my change in attitude is the result of selective breeding (in the sprouts, not me) Molecules called glucosinolates (sulphur-rich compounds) give sprouts a slightly bitter taste but modern varieties produce much less of these chemicals.
The sprout (Brassica oleracea) is a member of the cabbage genus – Brassica – and was cultivated in its current form in Belgium at some point in the 13th or 14th Centuries. They have achieved their present shape by selective breeding – i.e. plants with favourable traits are crossed with other plants with the features that the farmer is looking for, to produce offspring that have improved characteristics. There is an article on selective breeding in cattle here.
The Brassica genus contains a very varied collection of plants such as mustard, turnip, bok choy, rutabaga and rape seed. The species oleracea includes many variations such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, sprouts, cabbage and kale – a huge variety of shapes for a single species. Sprouts contain a useful level of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fibre. Vitamin A is important for the immune system, healthy growth and good vision (it is important in the production of the light sensitive pigment rhodopsin). Vitamin C is involved in lots of essential processes in organisms. A shortage of this vitamin in humans leads to scurvy (spongy gums, and bleeding from all mucous membranes – ech!). Folic acid is a B vitamin which is needed to make DNA and it also helps with red blood cell production. A shortage of folic acid leads to anaemia, poorly formed sperm, heart disease and depression amongst other things. It is very unusual for anyone with a western diet to develop a shortage of folic acid. Dietary fibre adds bulk to your food. It is indigestible and so it keeps food moving through your system, giving the intestinal muscles some exercise and preventing constipation.
Random video: Mrs Vicar encounters the sprout challenge in the following video.
When greens are cooked, some of their nutrients are removed or destroyed. Vitamin C and the B vitamins are water soluble so you might lose up to 20% into the cooking water. Vitamins A, D, E & K are fat soluble so they are less vulnerable to being leached out of veg during cooking. Steaming and microwaving probably help to conserve levels of vitamins. Of course, cooking makes the food more digestible so it may increase the bio-availability of some nutrients too.
One final difference between modern commercial sprouts and garden variety sprouts is in the way that they ripen. The sprouts are buds growing on a stem. The growing top of the stem releases a hormone that slows the rate of ripening of the buds lower down. This is a process called apical dominance. The sprouts nearest the bottom of the plant are least influenced by this hormone so they ripen soonest. You should harvest your sprouts in the garden from the base of the plant, working your way upwards. Modern commercial varieties ripen much more evenly which is why you can see whole stems of sprouts in the shops; each individual sprout is ready to be harvested at the same time.
Questions…
- One of the four main food groups is dietary fibre – what are the other three?
- What are the two raw materials needed for photosynthesis?
- Suggest a mineral needed by humans in their diet and a food that is a good source of that mineral.
- Name an essential amino acid.
- What is the taxonomic category above Genus?
- Name a hormone found in humans. What job does it do?
1. proteins, carbohydrates and fats
2. Sunlight and carbon dioxide
3. Iron, found in red meat, it is important during pregnancy
4. Leucine
5. Species
6. Testosterone, found in males, to evolve the reproductive system.
Thank you!
Q1 – splendid
Q2 – carbon dioxide, yes, but sunlight is not really considered a raw material. It is the energy source for the process but there is another substance that is needed.
Q3 – great stuff. It is needed for making haemoglobin.
Q4 – well done
Q5 – interesting. It is not very clear what “above” means in this context. I was imagining them listed vertically down the page with species as the last category, and therefore below genus, but you could interpret it as being a higher group because it is more specific. I think that more often than not Kingdom is considered the top category and everything else is beneath that so I was expecting you to head in the opposite direction and write “Family”.
Q6 – great stuff. Be careful about sing the world evolve. In this context you mean “develop” or “mature”. Evolve refers specifically to a population of organisms changing characteristics over a period of time.
I hope you have had a good Christmas.
1. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
2. Carbon dioxide and water.
3. Iron which is in red meat.
4. Tryptophan.
5. Family.
6. Testosterone is found in higher levels in men and develops the reproductive system.
Thank you especially for the video because I love the Vicar of Dibley!
Q1 – splendid
Q2 – well done
Q3 – indeed. Important for healthy blood cells.
Q4 – I think I have a post about tryptophan coming out either tomorrow or Friday
Q5 – excellent
Yes, I loved the vicar of Dibley too!