Since 1992
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By Barbara McAllister
What makes a vegetable cruciferous?
A) It’s healthy
B) It has a bitter taste
C) It has a certain type of flower
The correct answer is C! But you get points for A and B, both characteristics of cruciferous vegetables.
The word cruciferous (pronounced kru CIF er us) is often spoken of as a building block for a healthy lifestyle. We are urged on all sides to eat more cruciferous vegetables, but what makes a vegetable cruciferous? It’s a natural leap to associate cruciferous with “crucible,” a word meaning a severe test or trial. Foods that are good for you don’t necessarily taste good and crucible seems a likely fit.
While cruciferous plants are all said to share many vitamins and disease fighting elements, they also tend to have lots of fiber and strong flavors. The cruciferous group includes broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage.
In reality, cruciferous refers to plants that have flowers with four petals in the shape of a cross. The root of cruciferous is the Latin crux, for cross, a deceptively innocent explanation. The word crucible comes from an entirely unrelated source. Cruciferous plants are also known as the mustard family and contain cress, mustard, radishes, turnips and sweet alyssum as well.
“A sweet plant of the mustard family,” is a common crossword puzzle clue looking for the answer “alyssum.” Many people enjoy cruciferous vegetables, but I still associate many of them with crucible
