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Are Broccoli and Broccolini Different?

Raw green broccoli on a wooden cutting board.
Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock.com

Broccoli is a healthy, delicious vegetable you might commonly use in your kitchen. You might also buy broccolini from time to time. Some think broccolini is just a fancy word for broccoli, but they are actually different…but how different?

Although both vegetables are similar, their appearances and tastes make them different.

If you place each veggie side-by-side, you’ll notice that broccoli has short, thick stems, making it the smaller of the two vegetables. It also has a recognizable large, flowery head.

On the other hand, broccolini is a hybrid of conventional broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It’s taller with thin stems and small, delicate leaflets. Because of the tender stems, broccolini requires less prep work when cooking this delicious veggie.

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In addition to their appearance, the flavor of each veggie is also slightly different. Broccoli has more of an earthy flavor than broccolini. It’s a versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw, baked, steamed, or sautéed.

Broccolini’s taste is sweeter and mellower than broccoli. With its unique blend of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, the taste is more distinct. Broccolini is best suited for roasting and grilling to bring out its delicate, sweet flavor.

There are probably other ingredients in the kitchen that might cause you to scratch your head. For example, did you know that stock and broth are also different?

Kelsey Opel Kelsey Opel
Kelsey Opel is a freelance writer and digital storyteller based in Austin, Texas. She enjoys writing for food, entertainment and mental health spaces. Off the clock, she loves indulging in an avocado margarita and chips and queso at her favorite Tex-Mex spot in town. Read Full Bio »
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