Growing up, Popeye the Sailorman was one of my favourite cartoons. I liked how he was armed with strength after popping the can and eating the spinach. For some reason, instead of associating the spinach with callaloo, I always imagined Popeye’s spinach to be broccoli. The thought of eating broccoli used to gross me out. I couldn’t imagine eating it. All of that changed when I moved to Barbados and ate it for the first time – steamed.
I immediately fell in love with broccoli and it is now one of my favourite vegetables to eat – cooked and raw, flowerets and stems.