Caulilini: The New Veggie You’ve Got to Try!

Updated: May 13, 2024

Caulilini is the freshest new vegetable since broccolini.

The secret’s out about caulilini! It’s a tender new variety of cauliflower, billed as cauliflower-meets-broccolini. The vegetable has been igniting the curiosity of US chefs, home cooks and hungry people everywhere.

It might not be the only vegetable you haven’t heard about—check out this collection of leafy greens.

What Is Caulilini?

The “baby cauliflower” comes from Mann’s, a vegetable producer out of California. Mann’s is known, among other things, for introducing broccolini to the market, too!

With long edible stems, caulilini is similar to broccolini, but light in color like other cauliflower. It may just be your new favorite vegetable to roast. Mann’s isn’t specific on how they developed this cauliflower variety, but they are proudly sharing that the vegetable is non-GMO.

Related: Here’s what you should know about GMOs.

What Does Caulilini Taste Like?

Think sugar and cauliflower together. Caulilini is typically more tender and sweeter than cauliflower, which makes it the perfect veggie for all kinds of dishes.

Where to Buy Caulilini

This vegetable will be available year-round per the Mann’s website. For now, keep an eye out for it on restaurant menus—it was released in July 2018 only to the foodservice industry. We haven’t seen caulilini in the grocery store’s produce department yet, but if the 20-year success story of broccolini (and the megawatt popularity of everything cauliflower) is any indication, caulilini just might end up everywhere.

How to Eat Caulilini

Like any of your favorite cauliflower, broccoli or broccolini recipes, caulilini can be grilled, roasted, baked or sautéed. It would also make a tasty addition to a grilled vegetable platter or fresh crudité plate with your favorite homemade dip. It sounds like there isn’t much that caulilini can’t do, except maybe turning into rice—but we’ll leave that to cauliflower.

Where Do You Find Caulilini Seeds?

Take a look around any organic market in the summer, and you’ll probably stumble upon some caulilini seeds. Major retailers like Walmart and Target are less likely to have them, so you’ll have to stick to some smaller shops. You can find them online at Johnny’s Selected Seeds here.

Like other members of the brassica family, this vegetable is completely edible from floret to stem, and the tender stalks will turn a brighter hue of green when cooked. We’re ready for a taste!

Try Our Fave Cauliflower Recipes, Too
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