Avventura Felice 2012: Celebrating G W's disliked vegtable

Today we are off to a community North of Rome on the edge of volcanic Lake Bracciano called Anguillara. Legend has it that the broccoli (in Italian, broccoletto) from Anguillara Sabazia was created by a farmer, nicknamed “'O Ciafero”, who killed a pigeon or a dove during a hunt, which he found had a mouth full of broccoli seeds. He removed the seeds from the pigeon’s mouth and planted them. A few months later he noticed that some small green plants had sprouted. Initially the broccoli leaves were used as animal feed, then, to stave off hunger during the First World War the locals also started to eat the plant, discovering they are particularly tasty and of a high nutritional quality.

Since then the area has dominated in the production of this food stuff. The Anguillara broccoli plant has a central stalk, with large, irregular lobed and indented leaves of a intense green sprouting from the main stem. The broccoli florets grow at the bottom of each leaf and once these develop they are harvested by cutting the central stalk about 8-10 centimetres from the ground.

Off we were off by metro, train and bus to the lakefront celebration. Hundreds of people attended. Tables were set out on the plaza, cook tents were set up where the broccoli was being steamed, pasta with broccoli being prepared and sausages cooking over wood fired grills. The smells were delicious. Can't wait to eat.