Serious question- when did people start eating Broccoli?

[Brian Reay]

We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.

We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.

I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.

While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.

So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?

I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.

But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

[Ophelia]

"Brian Reay" wrote in message news:okfqo7$iop$***@dont-email.me...


We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.

We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.

I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.

While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.

So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?

I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.

But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

==

I certainly never saw any in the 60s but I was living in Malta.

I never saw any before that though in Yorkshire when I was growing up. My
family had allotments too, where they grew veg. Never saw broccoli though.

Have we gone all posh? <g>

[Brian Reay]

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?
==
I certainly never saw any in the 60s but I was living in Malta.
I never saw any before that though in Yorkshire when I was growing up.
My family had allotments too, where they grew veg. Never saw broccoli
though.
Have we gone all posh? <g>

Hmm, as I've commented in other posts, I was thinking that perhaps
broccoli had come from the 'Mediterranean' influence we saw on our food
in the 60s and 70s but, if you didn't see it in Malta, and others ate it
as reported here in the 50/60s, it must have already been here just not
common.

Presumably, as so often happens, it was 'promoted' somehow- perhaps via
a media cook or advertising and went from being a 'niche' vegetable to a
common one.

When I was still teaching, I often commented to pupils than many things
we eat (and I don't mean processed items) simply weren't around- or at
least were 'unusual' when I was a youngster. As I mentioned, I worked
part time in a vegetable shop in my teens (in the 70s) and things like
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked. This was
a major specialist vegetable shop, not a small one. Even radishes were
considered 'exotic'!

[Ophelia]

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?
==
I certainly never saw any in the 60s but I was living in Malta.
I never saw any before that though in Yorkshire when I was growing up.
My family had allotments too, where they grew veg. Never saw broccoli
though.
Have we gone all posh? <g>

Hmm, as I've commented in other posts, I was thinking that perhaps
broccoli had come from the 'Mediterranean' influence we saw on our food
in the 60s and 70s but, if you didn't see it in Malta, and others ate it
as reported here in the 50/60s, it must have already been here just not
common.

Presumably, as so often happens, it was 'promoted' somehow- perhaps via
a media cook or advertising and went from being a 'niche' vegetable to a
common one.

When I was still teaching, I often commented to pupils than many things
we eat (and I don't mean processed items) simply weren't around- or at
least were 'unusual' when I was a youngster. As I mentioned, I worked
part time in a vegetable shop in my teens (in the 70s) and things like
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked. This was
a major specialist vegetable shop, not a small one. Even radishes were
considered 'exotic'!

==

Yes, I remember:))

[s***@gowanhill.com]

Post by Brian Reay
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked.

I think asparagus was around in the 1970s, but horribly expensive. We forget that almost all food was expensive then.

I think someone bought us corn on the cob to see, but it was rather difficult and messy to eat, so we went back to sliced carrots.

Post by Brian Reay
Even radishes were considered 'exotic'!

Not that exotic, I remember growing them in the garden, along with sage, marjoram, and thyme.

However my mother died without possessing a pepper-grinder! Can you imagine trying to use a kitchen without a pepper-grinder and freshly ground black pepper now! And I don't mean for cooking - even a tin of soup seemed so bland.

We had a coffee percolator and coffee grinder, and we tried an avocado pear (once) but I think my mother was 60+ before tasting pasta that didn't come in a tin labelled Heinz.

Owain

[Ophelia]

Post by Brian Reay
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked.

I think asparagus was around in the 1970s, but horribly expensive. We forget
that almost all food was expensive then.

I think someone bought us corn on the cob to see, but it was rather
difficult and messy to eat, so we went back to sliced carrots.

Post by Brian Reay
Even radishes were considered 'exotic'!

Not that exotic, I remember growing them in the garden, along with sage,
marjoram, and thyme.

However my mother died without possessing a pepper-grinder! Can you imagine
trying to use a kitchen without a pepper-grinder and freshly ground black
pepper now! And I don't mean for cooking - even a tin of soup seemed so
bland.

We had a coffee percolator and coffee grinder, and we tried an avocado pear
(once) but I think my mother was 60+ before tasting pasta that didn't come
in a tin labelled Heinz.

Owain

--

LOL I remember it well:)

[Brian Reay]

Post by s***@gowanhill.com

Post by Brian Reay
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked.

I think asparagus was around in the 1970s, but horribly expensive. We forget that almost all food was expensive then.
I think someone bought us corn on the cob to see, but it was rather difficult and messy to eat, so we went back to sliced carrots.

Post by Brian Reay
Even radishes were considered 'exotic'!

Not that exotic, I remember growing them in the garden, along with sage, marjoram, and thyme.
However my mother died without possessing a pepper-grinder! Can you imagine trying to use a kitchen without a pepper-grinder and freshly ground black pepper now! And I don't mean for cooking - even a tin of soup seemed so bland.
We had a coffee percolator and coffee grinder, and we tried an avocado pear (once) but I think my mother was 60+ before tasting pasta that didn't come in a tin labelled Heinz.

ROTFL, the idea of 'real pasta' would have been sacrilege during my
childhood. I doubt the idea it could possibly be served in a working
class home, other than from a tin, would ever have occurred to anyone on
Tyneside.

As for an avocado, you have to be joking.

Some things, even from Europe, would have been considered 'foreign
muck'- even yogurt ('Bad milk').

When I met my now wife (I was 17 at the time), I was amazed they had a
coffee percolator.

Going back to the broccoli mystery. I spoke to a friend whose family
have been farmers in Kent for over 100 years. He confirmed broccoli was
grown in Kent in the 60s/70s etc. so, presumably, it was also sold. It
obviously just hadn't reached the North and/or wasn't that popular.

[Ophelia]

Post by s***@gowanhill.com

Post by Brian Reay
peppers, corn on the cob, asparagus, ..... were never stocked.

I think asparagus was around in the 1970s, but horribly expensive. We
forget that almost all food was expensive then.
I think someone bought us corn on the cob to see, but it was rather
difficult and messy to eat, so we went back to sliced carrots.

Post by Brian Reay
Even radishes were considered 'exotic'!

Not that exotic, I remember growing them in the garden, along with sage,
marjoram, and thyme.
However my mother died without possessing a pepper-grinder! Can you
imagine trying to use a kitchen without a pepper-grinder and freshly
ground black pepper now! And I don't mean for cooking - even a tin of soup
seemed so bland.
We had a coffee percolator and coffee grinder, and we tried an avocado
pear (once) but I think my mother was 60+ before tasting pasta that didn't
come in a tin labelled Heinz.

ROTFL, the idea of 'real pasta' would have been sacrilege during my
childhood. I doubt the idea it could possibly be served in a working
class home, other than from a tin, would ever have occurred to anyone on
Tyneside.

As for an avocado, you have to be joking.

Some things, even from Europe, would have been considered 'foreign
muck'- even yogurt ('Bad milk').

When I met my now wife (I was 17 at the time), I was amazed they had a
coffee percolator.

Going back to the broccoli mystery. I spoke to a friend whose family
have been farmers in Kent for over 100 years. He confirmed broccoli was
grown in Kent in the 60s/70s etc. so, presumably, it was also sold. It
obviously just hadn't reached the North and/or wasn't that popular.

==

When did you get real pasta? In the early 70s we were moved to Malta with
the military and that is where I experienced my first real pasta. My first
real pizza too! A friend took me to a pizza (dunno if they were called
pizza parlour then) restaurant but I was enthralled:)) I have made my own
ever since. Nothing bought since then came up to scratch:)

[S Viemeister]

Post by Ophelia
When did you get real pasta? In the early 70s we were moved to Malta
with the military and that is where I experienced my first real pasta.
My first real pizza too! A friend took me to a pizza (dunno if they
were called pizza parlour then) restaurant but I was enthralled:)) I
have made my own ever since. Nothing bought since then came up to
scratch:)

Edinburgh in the mid 60s - real pasta, probably bought from Valvona and
Crolla.

[Ophelia]

Post by Ophelia
When did you get real pasta? In the early 70s we were moved to Malta
with the military and that is where I experienced my first real pasta.
My first real pizza too! A friend took me to a pizza (dunno if they
were called pizza parlour then) restaurant but I was enthralled:)) I
have made my own ever since. Nothing bought since then came up to
scratch:)

Edinburgh in the mid 60s - real pasta, probably bought from Valvona and
Crolla.

==

Cool:))

[Bill Ward]

Post by S Viemeister

When did you get real pasta?  In the early  70s we were moved to Malta
with the military and that is where I experienced my first real pasta.
My first real pizza too!   A friend took me to a pizza (dunno if they
were called pizza parlour then) restaurant but I was enthralled:))  I
have made my  own ever since. Nothing bought since then came up to
scratch:)

Edinburgh in the mid 60s - real pasta, probably bought from Valvona and
Crolla.

Where else! And there was a Chinese restaurant in Chambers Street in the
early 1950's if not before.
Bill.

[S Viemeister]

Post by Bill Ward

Post by S Viemeister

Post by Ophelia
When did you get real pasta? In the early 70s we were moved to Malta
with the military and that is where I experienced my first real pasta.
My first real pizza too! A friend took me to a pizza (dunno if they
were called pizza parlour then) restaurant but I was enthralled:)) I
have made my own ever since. Nothing bought since then came up to
scratch:)

Edinburgh in the mid 60s - real pasta, probably bought from Valvona
and Crolla.

Where else! And there was a Chinese restaurant in Chambers Street in the
early 1950's if not before.
Bill.

There was an excellent Chinese restaurant just across from Sandy
Bell's/Forrest Hill Bar in the early 60s. Szechuan style, rather than
the then more common Cantonese.

[graham]

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

As a child in the 50s, in Suffolk, I can remember being sent to the
greengrocer to buy broccoli in the Spring (IIRC) when there was a short
2 week season for it. That was before everything became available
year-round.
Graham

[Brian Reay]

Post by graham

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as
teenagers we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in
the mid 70s) and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on
Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to
the south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce,
although we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so
I assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits-
at least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

As a child in the 50s, in Suffolk, I can remember being sent to the
greengrocer to buy broccoli in the Spring (IIRC) when there was a short
2 week season for it. That was before everything became available
year-round.
Graham

That rather shoots down one of my theories that is came from the
European, especially Mediterranean influence on our food we saw in the
60s and 70s.

[Malcolm Loades]

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

I assume you're referring to what is otherwise know as calabrese, the
large green heads?

I can't remember when I first ate calabrese, but it was not as a child.
It is one of the two vegetables which I really do hate, the other is
Brussel Sprouts - both seem to share a certain bitterness.

I'm fairly certain my father grew sprouting broccoli, which I like, in
our garden in the 1950's

Malcolm

[Brian Reay]

Post by Malcolm Loades

Post by Brian Reay
We (my wife and I)happened to comment to each other that, as children,
we never had Broccoli. It wasn't so much it wasn't served, as teenagers
we both worked in a vegetable shop (that is how we met in the mid 70s)
and we are sure it was never sold there. This was on Tyneside.
We came to the conclusion it was a regional thing, when we moved to the
south the in mid 70s, we noticed a greater a range of produce, although
we can't recall if that was when we first saw Broccoli.
I happened to mention this to someone of a similar age to myself (60),
who was raised in the South and be didn't have Broccoli as a child
either. Broccoli is grown in the area he was raised, at least now, so I
assume if it was available, it would have been common. That rather
shoots down my regional idea.
While it is hardly a huge philosophical question, I am curious. After
all, it is hardly an 'exotic' vegetable - not even 'trendy' like, say,
Mange Tout which are a product of more modern/affluent tastes/habits- at
least in the UK.
So, when did Broccoli become the common vegetable it now is?
I seem to have been eating it for several decades, it is one of my
favourites, especially raw.
But was it readily available in the 50s and 60s and before?

I assume you're referring to what is otherwise know as calabrese, the
large green heads?
I can't remember when I first ate calabrese, but it was not as a child.

Yes. Like green cauliflower.

Post by Malcolm Loades
It is one of the two vegetables which I really do hate, the other is
Brussel Sprouts - both seem to share a certain bitterness.

Oddly, I like them both, especially Sprouts- if not over cooked.

Post by Malcolm Loades
I'm fairly certain my father grew sprouting broccoli, which I like, in
our garden in the 1950's

Interesting, one of the earliest 'sightings'. It rather shoots down one
of my theories.

Also, I didn't differentiate between 'ordinary' broccoli (which is what
I think you refer to as calabrese) and the sprouting, more sparse, type,
which I would say is still less common.