Brussels's Vegetable

Will loves Brussels sprouts. Loves.them. We have them a lot, which is funny, because growing up I distinctly remember working out a scheme with my siblings to pass the sprouts to my youngest sister Rebecca, who happily eat all four helpings--hers and the us 3--offered to her underneath the table.

Now, hardly a meal goes by where I don't have them. I was curious about their name, origin, reasons as to why they are called a superfood.

Turns out that the Romans started cultivating the sprouts. Those crazy Italians at some point got them to what is modern day Belgium, with the first mention of them was in Brussels in the late 1500s. In Belgium, they remained a popular local crop and with the end of World War 1, the (few) returning soldiers brought them back to home and spread the joy of the sprout, making the super veg even more popular.

Thomas Jefferson is credited to bringing the sprouts back to the States after his stay in Paris; though in all likelihood it was the French introducing the crop into the area we call the Louisiana Purchase. Commercial production of brussels sprouts began in earnest in Louisiana in the 1920s. Long Island, California, and Louisiana are still the top U.S. producing areas. Europeans prefer smaller sprouts than we Americans, and the only production difference is when the mini cabbages are picked.

Brussels sprouts are packed with vitamins & calicum, high on fiber, fat-free, and low on calories. I have also discovered that they are loaded with folic acid, which stimulates brain growth and development. My sister Rebecca is *pretty* smart. Maybe eating three extra helpings of brussels sprouts as a child is the reason....