CentralNotice Broccoli From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search For other uses, see Broccoli (disambiguation) . Broccoli Broccoli Species Brassica oleracea Cultivar group Italica Group Origin From Italy (2,000 years ago) [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family , whose large flowering head is used as a vegetable . The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo , which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage ", and is the diminutive form of brocco , meaning "small nail" or "sprout". [ 3 ] Broccoli is often boiled or steamed but may be eaten raw. [ 4 ] Broccoli is classified in the Italica cultivar group of the species Brassica oleracea . Broccoli has large flower heads , usually green in color, arranged in a tree-like structure on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk . The ...