Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Common Cabbage, Head Cabbage
Chou (cabus) (French); Kohl (German); Col (Spanish); Couve (Portugal), Repolho,
Repolhuda (Brazil); Acovi (Angola); Patgobhy (Hindi); (Shna)Karam (Pashtu and
Dari).
Cabbage is just one of the races (or botanical varieties) of the species Brassica
oleracea, the Wild Cabbage. Brassicas are the most important Genus of the cabbage
(or mustard) family the Cruciferae. There are several other races of Brassica
oleracea:
- var. botrytis—Cauliflower
- var. alboglabra—Chinese Broccoli
- var. gemmifera—Brussels sprouts
- var. gongylodes—Kohlrabi
Chinese cabbage is normally classified as Brassica chinensis var. pekinensis
Wild cabbage plants are still found growing in southern England, western France
and northwest Spain. Selections from this plant have been made by food producers
for over 2000 years, and kale is mentioned in early Greek writings. Modern cabbage
varieties are now grown throughout the world, including cooler parts of the lowland
tropics.
The plant is a biennial, but the crop is grown as an annual. The thick,
overlapping leaves are the part of the plant that is eaten. The “heads” formed by
these leaves come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colours—essentially, heads
are either round or pointed, green or red, smooth or wrinkled—rather like people.
Cabbages can be produced twelve months of the year in many places around the
world by planting successively a few of the eight types available (months refer to the
UK):
Spring cabbage comes in two forms, either spring greens or spring hearting, both
transplanted out in September in northern temperate regions, ready to eat in April
and May. Some varieties, such as Durham Early are dual-purpose, providing first
greens then small hearts.
Summer cabbage always forms a heart, either red or green, pointed or round.
Transplanted out in spring they are eaten from mid to late summer.
Autumn cabbage is planted out in mid-summer, grows rapidly and is eaten in the
autumn.
Winter white cabbage plants are large and grown to be stored; planted out in June,
maturing in November and December, can be stored for months.
var. acephala—Kale, Collard, Borecolevar. italica—3 types of broccoli: Sprouting Broccoli, Calabrese and Romanesco.
Also perennial (“Nine Star”) broccoli.