SPROUT AND PROUD
Everything you need to know to turn into a sprout lover
It doesn’t get much more controversial when it comes to vegetables than Brussels sprouts. They may only be small in size but opinions on this contentious vegetable run deep. The source of many a festive falling out, whether you love them or hate them — Brussels sprouts are here to stay.
This cruciferous vegetable gets its name from its popularity in — yes, you guessed it — Brussels, Belgium. There are records of early varieties that trace back to Rome, however, the version we know and love (or perhaps not) were widely cultivated in Belgium as far back as the 16th Century.
But why do people hate them? Well, there are a couple of factors that make this veg more divisive than any other. First of all, it may actually be a genetic thing. Scientists have found that the bitterness that many people taste when they eat sprouts could actually be due to a gene that allows the bitter compounds to be tasted more predominantly.