Cabbage, Vegetable
Cabbage is any of the several cultivars of species Brassica oleracea var. capitata, of the mustard family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae). It has a globose head consisting of a short stem and tightly overlapping green to purple leaves. Cabbage is a popular vegetable related to the mustard greens and the turnip family. It is cultivated as a leafy green vegetable. China is the world largest producer of cabbage, followed by India and Russia. There are two main varieties of cabbage, the early and late. Early cabbage is harvested in just over 40 days and has a small, tight head. The late cabbage takes about 90 days to mature, and has a much larger head. Coleworts are young cabbages or cabbages that are grown in late autumn and in the beginning of winter. Cabbage with a rounded and flattened head is known as drumhead cabbage. Oxheart cabbage has an oval or conical head, while a pickling cabbage is suitable for pickling. The common variety of cabbage used in making sauerkraut is called krautman.Red cabbage is a small, rounded-head cabbage with dark red leaves. Cabbage with a round, compact head and crinkled, curled leaves is known as Savoy cabbage. Cabbage is usually consumed raw, cooked or preserved in a many varieties of dishes. When raw, cabbage is sweet and crunchy. Coleslaw salad is the common use of of raw cabbage, and salad make from the green and red varieties are visually appealing. Cabbage is usually added into soups and stews, or the leaves can be used to wrap around meats and other stuffed leaf dishes. It is a basis for sauerkraut, and the Korean kimchi. The cabbage leaves often coated with a delicate, waxy, powdery substance called bloom. The occasionally sharp or bitter taste of cabbage is caused by the presence of glucosinolate. The leaves also contain glutamine, an effective anti-inflammatory substance. Cabbage contains a good source for vitamin C, vitamin B6, riboflavin and folate.  Cabbage Author: Forest & Kim Starr (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0-unported) | ||
|
