Millions of people do, but mostly because the culinary world collectively realized that boiling them to a gray mush—the primary reason everyone hated them for generations—is a crime.
Per capita consumption has climbed steadily over the last decade as people shifted away from steaming them into sulfurous, bitter swamp-balls and started treating them like a high-heat canvas.
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The High-Heat Roast: Halving them, tossing them in olive oil, and roasting them face-down at high heat until the leaves turn into dark, crispy, potato-chip-like edges changes the flavor entirely.
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The Flavor Pairings: They are rarely eaten plain anymore; they usually show up paired with things like bacon lardons, hot honey, balsamic glaze, or parmesan.
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The Genetic Factor: Hating them isn’t always a matter of bad cooking—some people actually have a genetic taste receptor (TAS2R38) that makes the natural glucosinolates taste overwhelmingly, chemically bitter.
Are you a “crispy charred leaves” convert, or are you holding firm to childhood trauma?
