It's the age-old festive problem: how do you get children to eat their Brussels sprouts? (And, if you ask my kids: why do they even exist?).
Earlier this year, a baker from Kent came up with the idea of making chocolate-covered sprouts to persuade his picky-eating son to munch on the sulphurous veg.
But for those of us who'd rather not give our kids sugary nuggets with their Christmas dinner, Waitrose claims it has come up with a 'kid-friendly' brassica.
The supermarket has worked with growers in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to develop two varieties that it says are low on bitterness and high on sweetness.
Scientists believe children reject sprouts out of survival instinct, because harmful toxins tend to have a bitter taste, just like sprouts. However, sweetness usually indicates that something is safe to eat, which is why children love biscuits, cakes and chocolate.
Unfortunately, all these don't contain more vitamin C than oranges – as sprouts do. Amy Lance, Waitrose's Chief Sprout Taster (now THERE'S a woman we bet has wafted a few duvets in her time), said: "The humble Brussels sprout is a wonderful bundle of deliciousness, but so often overlooked by children or picky eaters.
"We have worked hard over the past year to develop this sprout which we believe will win over even the most ardent sprout haters. We hope it will get a massive thumbs up from children this Christmas and encourage them to 'eat their greens'."
The new sprouts go on sale this week.