name: Brassicas
flavor_db_name_variants: brassicas
source: foodb
status: draft
food_db_id: Brassicas
id: 857
name_scientific: null
description: Brassica is a genus of plants in the mustard family. The members of the genus are collectively known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustards. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops, which is derived from the Latin caulis, meaning stem or cabbage. Common types of brassica used for food include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and some types of seeds. The genus is known for containing many important agricultural and horticultural crops. It also includes a number of weeds, both wild taxa and escapees from cultivation. It includes over 30 wild species and hybrids, and numerous additional cultivars and hybrids of cultivated origin. Most are annuals or biennials, but some are small shrubs. Due to their agricultural importance, Brassica plants have been the subject of much scientific interest. Six particularly important species (Brassica carinata, B. juncea, B. oleracea, B. napus, B. nigra and B. rapa) are derived by combining the chromosomes from three earlier species, as described by the Triangle of U theory. The genus is native in the wild in western Europe, the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia. In addition to the cultivated species, which are grown worldwide, many of the wild species grow as weeds, especially in North America, South America, and Australia. A dislike for cabbage, broccoli et. al. can be due to the Brassica species containing a chemical similar to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a chemical which is either bitter or tasteless depending on one's genetic makeup.
itis_id: null
wikipedia_id: Brassica
picture_file_name: null
picture_content_type: null
picture_file_size: null
picture_updated_at: null
legacy_id: null
food_group: Vegetables
food_subgroup: Brassicas
food_type: Unknown
created_at: 2012-09-11T15:00:37.000Z
updated_at: 2019-12-11T19:39:23.000Z
creator_id: 2
updater_id: 2
export_to_afcdb: false
category: generic
ncbi_taxonomy_id: 3705
export_to_foodb: false
public_id: FOOD00857