Broccolini was originally developed over eight years by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan. It was developed as a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, rather than being genetically modified.

Is broccolini naturally occurring?

Trademarked or not, Broccolini is a result of crossing European and Asian broccoli plants and is not a genetically engineered (ie, gene spliced) product. It is not a “natural mutation” – it was purposely created by people, as are so many of our foods and food sources, not to mention our pets.

What came first broccoli or broccolini?

Broccoli’s origins can be traced back to Italy, more than 2,000 years ago. Broccolini is a much newer vegetable—it was created in 1993. Because of its resemblance to broccoli, many people assume it’s just a smaller version of the cruciferous vegetable.