Akademik

(BRAWK.uh.flow.ur)

n.

A cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Also: brocco-flower.

Today, along with white cauliflower in markets, you'll find broccoflower (less expensive than white) and occasionally purple cauliflower. Broccoflower originated with a green cauliflower grown in Italy and has heads ranging from lime-green to yellow-green and a taste more like cauliflower (but a little sweeter) than broccoli. Most are smaller, lighter in weight, and less crisp and dense than white cauliflower.

— Natalie Haughton, "Cauliflower; It's the new potato," The Daily News of Los Angeles, March 3, 2004

These days, Eszterhas lives in Bainbridge Township, Ohio, from where he announces that, like President Bush, he believes in "prayer and exercise." He also drinks organic cranberry juice and eats "fresh cauliflower and broccoflower." Broccoflower? Yez, zir, he lak Amerika very mooch.

— Anthony Lane, "Joe Eszterhas's "Hollywood Animal," The New Yorker, February 9, 2004

According to the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, restaurants are finally jumping on the nutrition bandwagon. ... They foresee these trends: ...

More exotic fruits and veg — like broccoflower (a cross between cauliflower and broccoli), wild mushrooms and all manner of squash.

— Marion Kane, "Peanut butter secret ingredient in stew contest winning recipe," The Toronto Star, March 21, 1990

Broccoflower™ is a trademark of Tanimura & Antle Fresh Foods, Inc.

The earliest use I could find for this blend (literally and linguistically) is from March, 1990. However, there is an earlier trademark (now abandoned, although it was also associated with Tanimura & Antle, Inc.) for "Broccoflower T&A" that claims a first use from December, 1988.