Cauliflower cheese in Cyprus, which historically was a former British Colony. Béchamel sauce was used extensively in Greek and Cypriot cooking of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Anglocypriots claim to have introduced the dish to the UK. Cauliflower was said to have been introduced to the west during the French Lusignan rule of Cyprus. The Old French word for Cauliflower is chou de Chypre (Cyprus cabbage). There is a recipe for cauliflower with Parmesan cheese in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, first published in 1861. In the 19th and 20th centuries the dish was often served as an
Cauliflower françois". They were introduced to France from Genoa in the 16th century, and are featured in Olivier de Serres' "Théâtre de l'agriculture" (1600), as "cauli-fiori" "as the Italians call it, which are still rather rare in France; they hold an honorable place in the garden because of their delicacy", but they did not commonly appear on grand tables until the time of Louis XIV. It was introduced to India in 1822 from England by the British. The word "cauliflower" derives from the Italian "caoli fiori", meaning "cabbage flower". The ultimate origin of the name is from the Latin words "caulis"