The Times has provoked a diplomatic incident: yesterday we reported on a British campaign to rescue the cauliflower from impending agricultural doom.

It seems that broccoli, its slick Italian rival, is threatening to leave the cauli sleeping with the fishes (anyone for curried cauliflower and smoked haddock soup?).

The suggestion that British cooks should look more favourably on cauliflower cheese has been met with indignation by the Italian government, who would obviously prefer that we continued importing tons of their produce for our Sunday lunches.

Luca Zaia, the Italian minister of Agriculture, failed to let the unfashionable British vegetable down gently.

“We know from experience that the British cauliflower can be good,” he smirked, probably with a shrug of his shoulders. “[But] if you eat broccoli, extra virgin olive oil and pasta you will be fit, you will lose weight and you will live better.”

What do you think – is it time for a cauliflower comeback? Or is broccoli truly the dog’s brassicas? You decide…