Broccolini is a simple-looking vegetable that looks a lot like broccoli. Many people believe that it’s just a type of baby broccoli, but that’s not the case. This vegetable is actually a cross between two different ingredients. These ingredients include Chinese and standard broccoli. That’s why it’s not as common or popular as other types of the vegetable.
However, broccolini is used in lots of traditional recipes which is why people are starting to learn more about it. The ingredient itself tastes good if prepared in the correct recipe, but something that most people don’t like about it is the high price. So we’ll be discussing why broccolini is so expensive today to shed some light on the topic.
Why Is Broccolini So Expensive?
- Crops Being Expensive to Harvest
A common issue is that some ingredients can be quite expensive. When it comes to this, you will notice that broccolini is also among some of the vegetables with a high price. While there are several reasons for this, one of the main ones include the crop being too expensive to harvest. Broccolini is a hybrid vegetable that consists both of broccoli and Chinese kale.
You will notice that broccoli itself is quite expensive. This is because the crops for it contain 3 stalks which have to be taken down by hand. This can take a lot of time and effort which is why the farmers harvesting them charge a lot. Keeping this information in mind, you should note that the stalks on broccolini contain 15 to 20 stalks.
This makes the vegetable even harder to harvest in comparison. Usually, crops have their prices set according to how difficult they are to harvest. That makes sense, as it takes more effort and more money to handle the more difficult crops. The extra effort is ultimately rewarded with a higher price tag, which is why some fruits and vegetables have a higher price compared to others. So, due to the difficult and expensive process of harvesting broccolini properly, it’s developed a high price tag.
- Crops Are Sensitive to Heat
Broccolini is one of those vegetables which are sensitive to heat. Considering this, you can only farm the crops in specific weather conditions. This plays a huge role in what the price for these vegetables is going to be. Keep in mind that there are tons of things that can affect the weather.
Considering this, if for some reason, the heat is too much or if there is any drought then farmers will be unable to farm the crop. The lack of harvesting causes the price for this crop to increase in other areas instead.
This is because there is only a small yield of the vegetable due to other farmers being unable to farm it. The few farms that have the vegetable will charge a much higher price for it. Additionally, you should note that people have to cover their losses as well which is why they will try to sell the vegetable for a price that they find reasonable.
- Supply and Demand
Finally, one more reason why broccolini is so expensive is that supply and demand play a huge role in what the price for a product is going to be. Usually, the price for a vegetable will increase if its demand is more than the supply. On the other hand, if the supply is more than what the demand for this vegetable is then the price will be much cheaper.
You will notice that people mostly purchase broccolini during winters when no crops are growing it. Considering this, the quantity available for it is too low which gives the vegetable a high price. In some areas, farmers are unable to grow the crop which is why they have to import it instead. Importing things can cost shopkeepers and farmers alike a fortune. They make up for it by setting a higher price tag on the products they sell, which might be the case with broccolini in the specific area where you live.
The Bottom Line
Broccolini tastes good for sure, but is it worth the price? Now that we’ve mentioned some of the most common reasons for it being so expensive, it’s up to you to decide that.