Food hacks that trend on social media can be refreshingly creative, surprisingly simple, and sometimes downright weird. They usually have at least one thing in common, though. To qualify as a hack they should make the task at hand more simple. And that’s exactly what the newest hack involving broccoli does.
Instead of cutting her broccoli off the stalk before cooking, Steph2302 on TikTok shows the easy way she prefers to cook her broccoli. The viral video, which has over 26.8 million views, shows a pot of boiling water with a whole head of broccoli sticking out of it. Steph2302 then pulls out the whole head of broccoli by the stalk and cuts off the florets in one fell swoop.
Genius or ridiculous? So many people in the comments had opinions.
What’s The Controversy?
At first glance, the video seems simple, to the point, and not at all controversial. However, commenters weren’t so sure of the hack. Many seemed concerned about cutting off so much of the stem. (She does cut super close to the florets, a.k.a the dark green part). But others were less concerned about the stem and more worried about the method of cooking. So let’s talk about the stem first.
I’m guilty of throwing away the stem of the broccoli. I’ll admit it. It wasn’t until recently that I learned that you can peel the rough skin off the stem, chop it up, and use it for a variety of things.
Of course, I still chop off the bottom inch or so. That part is super woody and basically inedible. However, those stems contain a ton of nutrients. Vitamins, calcium, fiber…the list goes on. So, eat those stems up! And the commenters tended to agree with this sentiment. One stated simply, “The stem is so good for you though.”
The Cooking Method
The other part of the video commenters took issue with was the method of cooking. Even a nutritionist chimed in about how she prefers to cook broccoli, and boiling wasn’t the way. Lyndi Cohen told Kidspot, “I’m not the biggest fan of this hack. If you’ve boiled broccoli that soft that you can cut it with a fork, you have certainly boiled out a bunch of nutrients—like vitamins E, K, calcium, and polyphenols, too.”
So, how does she prefer to cook her broccoli? “Instead of boiling, the best way to cook broccoli is to blanch it, stir fry, grill, or bake. Combining it with olive oil will also help your body absorb the nutrients.”
And, there’s always steaming, which is how I prefer it—stems and all.