To revive an old Johnny Carson “Carnac” — the answer is Brussels sprouts. And the question is: “What would you call a group of kids in Belgium’s capital?”
Brussels sprouts was a question as were: German measles, Dutch Elm disease, etc. and a couple of other issues at a recent get-together.
Why did all these items get tagged with a country? Let me address the first.
Brussels sprouts are a cultivar group of the same species as broccoli, kale and kohlrabi — I knew there was a reason I didn’t like them. They are cruciferous. Although they contain a lot of stuff that’s good for you, vitamins C and K for instance, I don’t think they taste good.
The sprouts first appeared in northern Europe during the fifth century (spontaneous eruption?).
Later people actually began to cultivate them, possibly as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium — it was actually Belgium then, they just didn’t call it that.
The first written reference to them occurred in 1587, probably by someone served them who expressed his opinion.
During that period, they enjoyed a popularity in the southern Netherlands, which eventually spread throughout the cooler regions of Northern Europe. It is important to note that the food choices prevalent at that time in the area were limited.
The reason for its name is that it was first cultivated near the capital of Belgium, Brussels. It’s difficult to imagine them as “Paris sprouts” considering the cuisine in Paris.
For several centuries they remained “over there.” Then some farmers (not thinking of the consequences) began growing them in the colonies as French settlers brought them to Louisiana in the 1700s.
Not content with that displacement, farmers in California’s Central Coast planted them in the 1920s (hopefully not displacing vineyards). By the 1940s it became a significant crop in the region.
Today, there are several thousand acres in coastal areas of Monterey, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties taking up space that could be used for other purposes.
In Europe, as you surmise, the largest producers are the Netherlands; Germany weighs in as second among the exporters.
The United Kingdom produces about the same tonnage as the Netherlands but its crop is not generally exported. Let me comment here, having spent a couple of weeks in England: The British are not known for their fine cuisine.
I’ll share a popular recipe for the little rascals. Cut the buds off the stalk and peel any loose surface leaves. Throw the leaves away. Place the buds in a pot. Add water and a nice white wine. Boil the concoction for 15-20 minutes. Pour out the buds and accompanying solution. Drink the rest of the white wine and order a pizza.
No, just kidding, I don’t get close enough to them to cook them.
They are not in the same category as mushrooms but I just don’t like them.
If you buy them and want to cook them, you’re on your own. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Jim Willard, a Loveland resident since 1967, retired from Hewlett-Packard after 33 years to focus on less trivial things. He calls Twoey, his bichon frisé-Maltese dog, vice president of research for his column.