Is Broccoli Man-Made? Truth Explained

We all know broccoli, the prominent vegetable that no one loved as a kid. However, we’ve all come to love it as adults because of its nutrition and numerous health benefits. Broccoli is one of the edible green plants from the cabbage family with a prominent head, stalk, and leaves. It looks just like a small tree.

It is quite popular, and nutritionists consider it a superfood. Furthermore, it has low calories but holds an abundance of antioxidants and nutrients that provide many health benefits. Some of these benefits include lowering cancer risk and boosting the immune system.

Is Broccoli a Man-Made Vegetable?

Great question! If indeed broccoli is a man-made food, what you may like to know is why they couldn’t make it tastier. There are lots of fruity flavors out there. But there have been serious recent conspiracy theories that broccoli is human-made.

When it comes to broccoli, there is more than meets the eye. Have you ever seen wild broccoli? But before we dabble in unproven conspiracies and presumptions, let us briefly look at this fabled vegetable.

Broccoli is made through selective breeding and not created in a lab, so it is technically non-GMO. Selective breeding is the process of crossbreeding organisms so that they retain certain traits and health benefits. This also applies to animals.

Broccoli was first developed this way. Scientists selected and cultivated desirable traits from the wild mustard plant Brassica Oleracea. So the answer is yes, broccoli is man-made as it does not occur naturally. Many fruits and vegetables we consume today are products of selective breeding including Brussels sprouts, kale and mustard greens to name a few.

Why Do People Think Broccoli is Man-Made?

People often believe that broccoli was created in a lab or is a GMO (genetically modified organism). So, is broccoli a GMO? No, it isn’t. Selective breeding differs greatly and could take months to years of artificial selection. Broccoli plants require crossbreeding organisms to attain desired traits. However, scientists genetically engineer GMOs in a lab.

Broccoli is man-made because it does not occur naturally but is derived from another existing plant. But this notion that broccoli isn’t natural may have misled people to believe it is created entirely from scratch in a laboratory, and it isn’t.

Where Does Broccoli Come From?

Broccoli dates back to the Roman Empire. That’s right, over 2000 years ago! It was first brought to Italy by the Etruscans. Often applauded for their agricultural enterprise, the Etruscans were known for many ground-breaking discoveries. As broccoli became more popular, traders brought it around the world.

It wasn’t until the 1700s that the first broccoli was planted in the United States, but it wasn’t popular until 1920.  Meanwhile, Chinese broccoli, a more leafy variant was believed to take its roots from the Portuguese who introduced cabbage to Asia. And now, broccoli is a household vegetable that 8 out of every 10 families eats. 

What Other Foods Besides Broccoli are Man-Made?

Scientists create man-made foods like fruits and vegetables through selective and crossbreeding to produce new varieties with sought-after qualities. Some of these qualities are size, taste, appearance, or growth rate.

These new variants will still undergo further selection or crossbreeding until they reach the desired result. Many of the fruits we consume today are man-made and safe to consume. The list is quite crowded, but we will mention a few foods that are man-made:

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is selectively bred from the same broccoli, Brassica Oleracea.

Bananas

The origin of bananas shows that they are the product of a cross between Musa Acuminata and Musa Balbisiana, which were not quite edible. One, though sweet, had too many seeds, and the other, although seedless, was small and tough. The combination is what bananas are today: fleshy, seedless, and sweet.

Eggplants

Eggplants used to be round and white, like eggs, hence the name. The deep purple currently present is a result of many years of breeding. Now eggplants come in many forms and sizes, round, long, skinny, or fat.

Oranges

Oranges are a result of a cross between a mandarin and a pomelo. They originated in South China and were later spread worldwide by traders.

Strawberries

Strawberries were first made in France by Antoine Nicolas when he crossed a male Fragaria Moschata with a female Fragaria Chiloensis. Many now know France for having larger and tastier strawberries.

Conclusion

You see that broccoli isn’t what you thought it to be. However, you can rest assured that it is perfectly healthy and nutritious. Not only does it have numerous health benefits, but it also promotes brain function. So, remember to eat your veggies even if vague conspiracies say your broccoli is not real.