Short answers, pulled from the story.
The cauliflower plant emerged from the species Brassica oleracea roughly 2,500 years ago. Genomic analysis reveals this vegetable evolved initially from broccoli through three specific MADS-box genes.
China and India dominate global output with 72% of the total harvest. World production of cauliflower combined with broccoli reached 26.5 million tonnes in 2023.
Pliny the Elder included cyma among cultivated plants he described in Natural History around 79 AD. He wrote that of all varieties of cabbage the most pleasant-tasted is cyma.
Orange cauliflower contains beta-carotene as the orange pigment found in provitamin A compounds. This orange trait originated from a natural mutant found in a cauliflower field in Canada.
Boiling reduces the levels of cauliflower glucosinolates while steaming or microwaving have no significant effect on them. Stir frying also preserves these compounds without altering their concentration significantly during cooking processes.