Where did Brussels sprout?

Earlier this evening, as I was preparing my new favorite vegetable dish, sautéed Brussels sprouts, a question came to mind: did Brussels sprouts actually originate from Brussels? I imagined these perfect miniature cabbages growing row upon row in a quaint Belgium garden. And then I wondered if perhaps these tasty morsels are nothing more than a weed to the Belgium, a common dandelion or thistle loathed far and wide by gardeners and yard guys alike (although yard services don’t seem very European to me….)

At any rate, as I stood at my stove, stirring the browning sprouts in the hot pan, I decided to add Brussels to my places to visit before I die. Then I could find out once and for all where Brussels sprouts came from.

Okay, I couldn’t stand it any longer. Judging from the lack of upcoming vacation time and the fact that we are saving to put in a back yard, I knew that a trip to Belgium was not in my near future. So I improvised. According to Wikipedia (did I just hear a collective groan from my former professors?) the predecessor of the modern sprout was likely found in ancient Rome. “Brussels sprouts as we now know them were grown possibly as early as the 13th century in what is now Belgium.”

Case closed. Now do as your mother told you, and finish eating your Brussels sprouts.