Season Fifteen, Episode Two. The Fruits and Veggies of the Future
Explore broccolini, the elegant hybrid with slender stalks and tender florets, and learn how it came to be.
The complete script for this episode, with the two hosts, in eleven parts.
Amiyah: Hey guys, hope y'all having a good day. How is y'all today?
Poke: I am good, just swaying in the breeze. How about you?
Amiyah: I am wonderful, so happy to be back with you all.
Amiyah: All right, let's spin the wheel and see what we have today.
Poke: boom. Broccolini!
Amiyah: The wheel clicked to a stop on broccolini, the slender, elegant cousin of broccoli. The hosts were eager to dig into this graceful modern hybrid.
Poke: Buckle up, folks. We are doing broccolini today.
Poke: Let us go back in time. What is the story of broccolini?
Amiyah: Broccolini is a hybrid created in the nineteen nineties by crossing broccoli with Chinese broccoli, also called gai lan. It was developed to be tender and quick to cook.
Poke: Although it is young compared to most produce, broccolini quickly won a place on tables around the world for its sweet flavor and graceful look.
Amiyah: Time for the surprising tidbits.
Poke: Broccolini has long thin stalks and small loose florets.
Amiyah: Okay, that is so good to know.
Poke: It is sweeter and more tender than regular broccoli.
Amiyah: I did not know that at all.
Poke: The whole stalk is eaten, no trimming needed.
Amiyah: That tracks.
Poke: It is a true hybrid, bred on purpose.
Amiyah: Let us talk varieties. What is out there?
Poke: Broccolini is mostly one hybrid, sold fresh in tender bunches.
Amiyah: I am listening.
Poke: Classic broccolini has slim green stalks and tiny florets.
Amiyah: Baby broccolini is extra tender.
Poke: I did not know that at all.
Amiyah: Its parent gai lan is a leafier cousin.
Amiyah: I love this part. How do different cultures enjoy it?
Poke: In Italy, broccolini is sauteed with garlic and olive oil.
Amiyah: Wait, really?
Poke: In China, its parent gai lan is steamed with oyster sauce.
Amiyah: Okay, that is so good to know.
Poke: In the United States, it is grilled as a quick side.
Amiyah: I did not know that at all.
Poke: Around the world, it is blanched and tossed into pastas and salads.
Amiyah: Let us bust a myth. What have we got?
Poke: A lot of people think some people think broccolini is just baby broccoli.
Amiyah: Right, that makes sense.
Poke: Here is the truth. It is its own hybrid, a cross of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, which is why it is sweeter and more slender than young broccoli.
Poke: We have a Fan Question of the Week. Here it is.
Poke: Do you need to peel or trim broccolini?
Amiyah: Love this question.
Amiyah: Not at all. The stalks are tender, so you can cook and eat broccolini whole, just trim the very ends if they look dry.
Amiyah: Alright, real talk. Here is what I actually think.
Amiyah: I will be real, this one is growing on me the more we talk about it.
Poke: Okay okay, fair, I will allow it.
Amiyah: Amiyah loves broccolini quickly sauteed with garlic.
Poke: Poke prefers it grilled until the tips are lightly charred.
Poke: I mean, you are not wrong, but you are also very dramatic about it.
Amiyah: Lightning round. Rapid fire, here we go.
Amiyah: Broccolini is a broccoli hybrid.
Poke: It has long, thin stalks.
Amiyah: It is sweeter than broccoli.
Poke: The whole stalk is edible.
Amiyah: So what did we take away from this one?
Poke: The hosts learned that broccolini is a sweet, tender hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, young in age but quickly beloved, with slender stalks eaten whole.
Amiyah: And now my favorite part, the recipe.
Poke: Today we are making Garlic Sauteed Broccolini. The full ingredients and steps are right below.
Amiyah: Thanks for spinning with us. Spin It. Learn It. Love It.™
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