Brussels Sprouts - the vegetable that divides a nation

As families in the UK make plans for Christmas and the big food shop, there's one item on the shopping list that divides the country.

The Brussels Sprout, named after the Belgian capital where this tiny member of the cabbage family was cultivated in the 13th century, is the marmite of the vegetable world - you either love it or you hate it, and in the UK the split is thought to be 50/50

Scientists have even identified a gene, TAS2R38, which will determine if you are able to taste the bitterness in the sprouts. Without the gene you are free to eat as much as you want – for those with the gene they leave a bitter taste

The UK produces 82,000 tons a year, covering enough ground to fill 3,200 football pitches most of which is consumed at home, it's harvested between September and April and for many it is a traditional part of the Christmas meal.