19 things you need to know about Brussels sprouts - Mustard (2024)

23 Dec 19 things you need to know about Brussels sprouts

The quintessential Christmas dinner veg, Brussels sprouts are thought to have been cultivated in Belgium in the 16th century – hence the name. They have a sweet, nutty flavour, which some people can find bitter. Love or hate them, here are 19 facts you need to know about the most seasonal of vegetables.

1. Two-thirds of our total sprout consumption occurs outside the festive season in the UK and Britons eat more Brussels sprouts than anyone else in Europe.
2. Sprouts contain high levels of vitamins A and C, folic acid and dietary fibre, and can help protect against colon and stomach cancer.
3. An 80g serving of sprouts contains four times more vitamin C than an orange, and a cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains only about 60 calories.
4. There are more than 110 different varieties of sprouts. This year’s top types look likely to be Albarus, Brodie and Kryptus, which have been bred specifically for flavour.
5. The area covered by Brussels sprout fields in the UK is the equivalent of 3,240 football pitches
6. Last year, a team of scientists and local schoolchildren used the energy from 1,000 Brussels sprouts tolight a Christmas treeon London’s Southbank.
7. In 2010, the British vegetable brand Tozerseedscreated a new vegetable called the Flowersprout, a hybrid of the Brussels sprout and kale that contains double the amount of vitamin B6 and vitamin C of traditional Brussels sprouts.
8. In August, adventurerStuart Kettell, 49, rolled a Brussels sprout to the top of Mt. Snowdon using only his nose, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer support.
9. Sprout fan Linus Urbanec from Sweden holds the current world record for the most Brussels sprouts eaten in one minute. He swallowed 31 on November 26, 2008.
10. The heaviest ever sprout was grown in 1992 and weighed 8.3kg (18lb/3oz).
11. This Christmas, M&S is hoping to win over sprout lovers with a new lurid green Brussels sprout, pear and apple juice.
12. The sprout industry is worth £650,000,000.
13. Santaconis a global gathering of people dressed as Father Christmas in cities around the world and traditionally, part of the fun is pelting other Santas (and anyone who turns up as an Elf) with Brussels sprouts.
14. The Duke andduch*ess of Cambridgereportedly ate Brussels sprouts on their honeymoon in the Seychelles – the vegetable is supposedly an aid to fertility because it is so high in folic acid.
15. There are more than 9,000 ways to cook a sprout. Some examples: Dijon-braised, balsamic-roasted, cherry-glazed, sweet and sour … and Brussels-sprout-with-grapes bake.
16. The freshest sprouts are green with a white base. If they are slightly yellow or brown it means they’re getting old.
17. Asda will sell around 140 million sprouts in the two weeks before Christmas. They stock both red sprouts as well as green and sell both in a mixed bag.
18. Famous sprout fans include former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and TV presenter Esther Rantzen, who attempted to break the world record for eating the most sprouts – but only managed five.
19. Overcooking sprouts makes them smell like rotten eggs due to the high levels of sulforaphane they contain. On the other hand, roasted, sautéed or grilled sprouts can taste sweet and nutty – and delicious.