Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts: The 13th-Century Side Dish

👉 FULL RECIPE & STORY: https://food-illustrated.com/recipe/roasted-balsamic-brussels-sprouts-the-perfect-caramelized-side-dish/

They were once derided as mushy, sulfurous cafeteria fare. Today, they’re the caramelized darlings of dinner tables everywhere. This is the story of the ultimate vegetable glow-up: the Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprout.

But this isn’t just a recipe; it’s a history lesson on a sheet pan. The ancestors of these “emerald-green bonsai cabbages” were likely first cultivated in ancient Rome . However, their name and fame trace back to 13th-century Belgium. By the Middle Ages, a variety of sprout was being grown so abundantly around Brussels that market regulations mentioned them as early as 1213, eventually bequeathing to us the name we use today .

For most of their history, these sprouts were treated terribly—typically boiled into submission, which activated bitter compounds and released that unfortunate sulphurous odour . But the Belgians knew a secret: these brassicas thrive in cool, northern climates and become genuinely sweet after a frost, producing higher levels of natural sugars .

Our version pays homage to that sweetness. We skip the boil and embrace high-heat roasting to trigger the Maillard reaction—that browning magic that creates deep, nutty, savory flavor. Then we finish with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar, a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages in Modena, Italy, where it was originally crafted as a luxurious tonic for the wealthy .

The result? A dish that’s both ancient and utterly modern. Sweet, tangy, crispy, and deeply satisfying. Whether you’re serving it for a holiday feast or a simple weeknight dinner, you’re participating in a culinary tradition that’s over 800 years in the making.

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