MANN PACKING: IMPOSTER VEGGIES POSING AS FOODIE FAVORITE BROCCOLINI®

Foodies beware; there may be an imposter on your plate or in your store.

The flavorful and beautiful Broccolini® (a natural hybrid between broccoli and gai lan/Chinese Kale) has become a favorite of foodies, with its sweet taste and elegant, brilliant green appearance.

Unfortunately new "copy cat" vegetable varieties that taste NOTHING like Broccolini® are hitting the market. Often called "baby broccoli" these copy cats may look like Broccolini®, but don't be fooled. One variety is 75 percent broccoli and only 25 percent gai lan / Chinese Kale). They taste tough and bitter with no hint of the sweet, peppery taste Broccolini® is known for.

While Broccolini® is sometimes referred to as baby broccoli, the seed variety used to grow it is genetically different than other varieties (Broccolini® is not a GMO; it is a natural hybrid). And there's more to cultivating this item than just planting a seed. For 10 years Mann Packing, a third generation family farming business and the exclusive supplier of Broccolini®, has developed hand-cultivation practices to create the long elegant shoots and the hint of sweet, edible yellow flower (that's the gai lan characteristic showing through). Baby broccoli doesn't taste like Broccolini®, just as a Pink Lady apple doesn't taste like a Red Delicious.

Foodie purists unite! Don't be fooled by those trying to dethrone Broccolini®. Whatever name the copy cats come up with, they will never match the incredible flavor and color of Broccolini®. Unless you see the Broccolini® name on the tag or package, it is not the original Broccolini® that has become a favorite of so many chefs as well as home cooks.