The Queen of the Brassicas - the Brussels sprout!
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 December 2023
⏱️ 56 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Our Christmas Day special programme is devoted to the Brussels sprout, with some incredible women for whom they’re playing a key role in their working lives. As a nation we eat more sprouts than any other country in Europe but it’s a vegetable that, like marmite, divides opinion. Originally from the Middle East, they came to Europe as an export of the Roman Empire. We hear how they became known as Brussels sprouts with the head of the Royal Horticultural Society Clare Matterson and the food historian Dr Sue Bailey. Plant pathologist Dr Lauren Chappell and the brassica research expert Dr Rachel Wells explain how sprouts are being engineered to taste sweeter and withstand climate change. Nutritionist Charlotte Hunter says the phytoestrogens in these mini cabbages mean women should be eating more of them. And for ideas about how to cook your sprouts, chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver and her daughter Miquita are on hand, as well as the chef Rosalind Rathouse.
Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Studio Manager Neva Missirian
Transcript
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| 0:44.5 | Hello, I'm Anita Rani and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4. |
| 0:49.9 | A very happy Christmas to you all. Now on this special day we are devoting the hour to celebrating |
| 0:57.0 | the Queen of Brassica's. The Sprout. Yes, you may love them or you may hate them. You may well have changed your |
| 1:04.7 | opinion by the end of this program and as this is Woman's Hour we are going to |
| 1:08.0 | explore why every woman needs a sprout in her life this Christmas, with some incredible women for whom |
| 1:14.3 | sprouts are playing a key role in their working lives. As a nation, we eat more |
| 1:19.1 | sprouts than any other country in Europe, and if you can't bear to eat one today you will after this |
| 1:24.6 | program at least know a lot more about them. Joining me today is Charlotte Hunter who |
| 1:29.2 | specializes in nutritional medicine for women. She'll tell us why women should be getting more of these mini cabbages into our diet. |
| 1:35.6 | We'll find out where sprouts originally came from. |
| 1:38.5 | spoiler alert, it's not Brussels, with Claire Matterson, |
| 1:41.8 | who's the Director General of the Royal Horticultural |
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