Cabbage Information

The Cabbage is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae). It is herbaceous, biennial, and a dicotyledonous flowering plant with leaves forming a characteristic compact cluster. Cabbages grown late in autumn and in the beginning of winter are denominated coleworts. The cabbage is derived from a leafy wild mustard plant, native to the Mediterranean region. The English name derives from the Normanno-Picard caboche ("head"). Cabbage was developed by ongoing artificial selection for suppression of the internode length. The dense core of the cabbage is called the babchka. It is related to the turnip.

The only part of the plant that is normally eaten is the leafy head; more precisely, the spherical cluster of immature leaves, excluding the partially unfolded outer leaves. The so-called 'cabbage head' is widely consumed raw, cooked, or preserved in a great variety of dishes, and is thus a leaf vegetable.

While raw cabbage can be eaten in hand, for most uses it is sliced into thin strips or shredded into salads or chopped, as in coleslaw. Crispy and more nutritious, it is also an excellent replacement for iceberg lettuce in many kinds of sandwiches.

Cabbage is often prepared by boiling, usually as part of soups or stews such as the Central Europe and Eastern European borscht. Boiling tenderizes the leaves, and releases sugars, and develops a characteristic "cabbage" aroma. Indeed, boiled cabbage seems to have fallen out of favor in North America, possibly due to the strong smell released during the cooking, or to its reputation for promoting flatulence. Boiled cabbage as an accompaniment to meats and other dishes can be an opportune source of umami, sugars and dietary fiber.

Cabbage is the basis for the German sauerkraut and Korean kimchi. Contrary to popular belief, 'pickled' cabbage is not cured using vinegar. Instead, finely sliced cabbage is mixed with salt and undergoes lactic acid formation. Sauerkraut was historically prepared at home, as a way of storing food for the winter. Russians, Czechs, Slovaks and Hungarians also make various types of sauerkraut. Korean kimchi is usually sliced much thicker than its European culinary cousin, and the addition of onions, chilies and shiso is common.

There are many varieties of cabbage based on shape and time of maturity. Traditional varieties include "Late Flat Dutch", "Early Jersey Wakefield" (a conical variety), "Danish Ballhead" (late, round -headed). Savoy Cabbage has a round head with crinkled leaves. Red cabbage is a small, round headed type with dark red leaves. Krautman is the most common variety for commercial production of sauerkrauts.

Broadly speaking, cabbage varieties come in two groups, early and late. The early varieties mature in about 45 days. They produce small heads which do not keep well and are intended for consumption while fresh. The late cabbage matures in about 87 days, and produces a larger head. Cabbage can be started indoors or sowed directly. Like all brassicae, cabbage is a cool season crop, so early and late plantings do better than those maturing in the heat of the summer. Cabbages keep well and were thus a common winter vegetable before refrigeration and long-distance shipping of produce.

In its raw state, cabbage contains iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin C content, vitamins B1, B2, and B3.