White

• The most widely available type of cauliflower is white with green leaves, and crumbly. It is a good source of nutrients and has a mild, slightly nutty taste. The white cauliflower is in season between December and March, making it a popular winter vegetable in the Northern Hemisphere. It is often added to stews, bakes and the cauliflower cheese recipe. White cauliflower can be steamed, boiled, roasted or sautéed; you can even eat it raw, which has the added benefit of giving you the most nutrients

Green

• Green cauliflowers look like a cross between a broccoli and a cauliflower, as they are a hybrid of the two vegetables. They were developed in California in 1980; however, they weren't available to consumers until1988, when they were marketed with the name "broccoflower." Their flavor is also somewhere between the two, being slightly nutty and sweet. They tend to be a little less crumbly than white cauliflower, so their firm texture suits salads. Also eat them raw or steamed. Green cauliflowers are in season from January till March.

Purple

• This type of cauliflower owes its startling color to the antioxidants it contains, similar to those found in red cabbage. The taste is practically the same as white cauliflower. These are best eaten raw, roasted or steamed. Boiling them causes the color to bleed because the anthocyanins, which give the cauliflower its purple pigment, are water-soluble.

Orange

• Orange cauliflowers were discovered in Canada in the 1970s, but they only hit the U.S. market around 2005. Orange cauliflower has less flavor than the white cauliflower, therefore the two need to be crossbred. It also contains 25 times more Vitamin A, so farmers expect it to do well in health food stores. Eat it raw in salads or boil for three or four minutes.