The Many Colors of Cauliflower
Not so long ago, white cauliflower was your only option at the supermarket. Nowadays the produce aisle is aglow with hybrid varieties bred to have high levels of particular naturally occurring pigments. An abundance of carotenoids color orange cauliflower; extra chlorophyll creates green cauliflower, and a plenitude of anthocyanin compounds produces the purple brassica. Color differences aside, we found that they all shared the same mildly nutty-sweet flavor.
Orange Cauliflower
Colorful vegetables don't always retain their color when cooked, even different hues of the same vegetable. The carotenoids in orange cauliflower proved the most stable when cooked. The color stayed vibrant when boiled or sautéed no matter how long you cook it.
Green Cauliflower
Though the chlorophyll in green cauliflower is heat sensitive, the vegetable turned tender before it faded or turned brown, whether boiled or sautéed.
Purple Cauliflower
The water-soluble anthocyanin compounds in purple cauliflower were the most sensitive; when we boiled the vegetable, they leached into the water and dulled its color if we cooked it past crisp-tender. Happily, sautéing didn't impact the color at all. So if color matters, stick with sautéing purple cauliflower to prevent its color from fading or make sure to blanch it until just crisp-tender.
Romanesco
Romanesco is cauliflower's beautiful, colorful cousin: Key-lime green in hue, and so fractal in appearance that it has even been studied by architects for new models of building design. It's striking and delicious when roasted or broiled whole.
