Do any other countries grow Brussels Sprouts?

[Blimeyitscold]

And if so, how do they cook them?

I can’t think of any recipes that feature sprouts other than U.K. Delia Jamie Nigella Christmas recipes. I’d be interested to see how they’re cooked in, say, Belgium.

Lunde · Today 01:16

I've seen them several times on various Julbords (Christmas buffets) in Sweden that I have been to. Sometimes boiled and sometimes halved or shredded and fried with bacon and/or ham.

Your neighbours to the West roast them with bacon, chopped into small pieces. I've had them in Norway plenty of times.

All you sprouts fans, do they still taste sprouty after you have zhuzzed them up with garlic and rosemary and bacon and whatnot?

Yeah, most countries. I don’t know of specific recipes but I know they grow them in places like China, Azerbaijan, Japan etc

I saw them quite a lot on menus when we went to Arizona - I quite a few different dishes, mostly roasted I think. I had some Brussels sprout tacos, which were delicious!
I’ve also had sprout tempura once before on my travels, but can’t remember where…

Definitely in the Netherlands. My Dutch mil boils hers and mixes with spek (bacon). They are called spruiten or spruitjes (little ones).

Panfry with some veggie stock. Add cheese and/or cream towards the end.

I had them at the Imperial war museum of all places in a roasted Brussel sprouts and broccoli salad (with other things I can't remember) and pomegranate - it's the best thing I've ever eaten.

Similar to this

I'll eat them with almost anything. I adore them just cooked plain. My partner does them with streaky bacon and honey. Delicious vegetable!

Were they fried with bacon bit? Very popular here in Germany.

Substitute cabbage with Brussel sprouts for coleslaw.

It's better.

They are common in Iceland on Christmas eve... that's about it.

Choux de Bruxelles and Rosenkohl. That's more like it.

Now I know where we've been going wrong all these years and why people don't like Brussels sprouts. We've been calling them the wrong name all along.😂

Tease!!!

ours is beautiful, lovely gifts !& fancy nibbles and the artisan cafe. It used to be more the farm's shop.

now it's very much 'The Farm Shop'.

it's beautiful, but I miss how it was when it started!

Oh we have artisan farm shops too... I like walking round but never buy anything!

They’re called couve de Bruxelas here in Portugal. Our farm shop sometimes has them, though too warm here most of the time for them to be locally grown, they’re normally imported from Spain.

They weren’t that common here until a couple of years ago (though the Portuguese love cabbage and there are loads of interesting varieties here), but now I see them all winter. Hipster foodie influence, which is fine by me as I love sprouts.

So much inspo! Thanks for providing the regional names. I’m going to research lots of international recipes and collate them together. It’s time for a dedicated sprout cookbook, don’t you think? Time to elevate the sprout from the pan of boiling water.

They're definitely eaten in Belgium (where I happen to live) and still have the same name - choux de Bruxelles. They're often served pan seared with lardons (fat bacon bits) or chestnuts. And they crop up in soup and salads... I wouldn't say they're hugely popular but definitely feature.

BigBangBang · Yesterday 14:50

I’ve also had sprout tempura once before on my travels, but can’t remember where…

It wasn't the Stonebridge, between Nevilles Cross and Langley Moor, by any chance? You brought back a memory of sprout, cauliflower and asparagus tempura there, many years ago.

I grew up in the US and we had them there (absolutely never seen them deep fried though). We’d eat them same as here: boiled, pan fried, roasted. Only difference is like all fresh food in the US they were ridiculously expensive. Last time I was there was probably 15 years ago and they were $4.99 for a small punnet, compared to like £1 in the UK for the same amount today.

This is how we cook them. Delicious. In Ireland — was just visiting fruends on their farm last weekend, where they have a fine croup of sprouts not far from harvesting.

oooh never tried this with the ham water, great idea

We grow and eat them in Ireland, quite happily.

I am currently in Belgium where seasonal fruit and veg is a much bigger thing than Ireland, so the shops are full of sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms of many varieties, butternut squash and edible pumpkins at the minute. With lots of interesting dishes involving them in restaurants.

How to cook and eat?

Sliced in to stir fries.

Sliced and tossed with bacon (and pine nuts).

Steamed. Possibly topped with cinnamon or nutmeg butter.

That's all I can think of (I'm enjoying the pumpkins more, tbh).