Plural of cauliflower; edible cruciferous vegetables consisting of clusters of unopened flower buds (curds) on a central stalk.
From Italian 'cavolfiore' (cabbage flower), from 'cavolo' (cabbage) plus 'fiore' (flower). Domesticated in the Mediterranean, reaching northern Europe in the 16th century.
Cauliflowers are literally aborted broccoli—the white 'curds' are flower buds that never got to bloom because farmers bred the plant to stay immature, making it one of our most heavily edited vegetables.
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