Does this broccoli look real to you? It is in fact a type of broccoli called Romanesque. The type of pattern that we are looking at is called a fractal. A fractal is a geometric shape of any kind that is built from smaller, self-similar iterations of the same shape.
Romanesque can be cooked using any method that's suitable for broccoli or cauliflower, and may be substituted in any recipe which calls for them. My personal favorite way to prepare it it to break off the “level 1” spirals (it's easier to do this with the ones at the base if you first cut them loose from the central stem by running a short knife around it from the bottom), then steam them for between 15–25 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables.
Where else can you find fractals in the real world?
I have heard of there being repeating patterns in the branching of trees and the popping of bubbles...
ReplyDeleteHere are some interesting videos about fractals and fractals in nature: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/fractals/program.html
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