‘Broccoli Coffee’ Is Supposed to Combat Food Waste, But Sounds Gross TBH

Finally, someone figured out how to put broccoli into a cup of coffee! We were all waiting for this day… right?

As reported by The Guardian, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and agriculture group Hort Innovation have teamed up to create a vitamin-rich powder from “ugly” broccoli—bunches too imperfect to sell in stores.

The versatile powder can be mixed into virtually anything, which has led one Melbourne cafe to push the boundaries of “anything” by mixing the new product into “broccoli lattes.” Which sound… interesting.

I like broccoli. And I like coffee—a lot. But broccoli blended into my coffee? I’m just not convinced that this is a perfect pairing. And, it seems, neither are the good people of Melbourne. According to the CSIRO and Hort Innovation, cafe-goers at Common Folk, the Melbourne cafe to which we owe the genesis of the broccoli latte (Broccolatte?) gave the veggie-infused coffee "mixed" reviews.

But don’t get hung up on whether the Broccolatte (yes, I’m sticking with that) is going to pop up on the Starbucks menu anytime soon—the intent of the broccoli powder is noble. The two main goals of the product are to help people reach the recommended daily intake of vegetables and to reduce food waste, Hort Innovation chief executive John Lloyd said in a press release.

“Research shows the average Australian is still not eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables a day, and options such as broccoli powder will help address this,” Lloyd explained. And cutting down on food waste is also an important issue, considering that a third of global produce is thrown away each year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

So while it might not be high on my list of reasons to visit Australia, I’m not counting it out completely. Who knows? This stuff could end up being the next matcha—or an exciting new way to be smug about your healthy eating regimen.