Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb. It is a short leafy plant with a thick stalk. In cold areas it forms a thick tightly packed ball of leaves called a "head". If the plant is left growing in the ground it will later produce a flower stalk. The flowers are yellow. There are 3 main types - the white cabbage, a purple kind and one with wrinkled leaves.

There are about 30 Brassica species and many cultivated varieties.

Where it is found

It is a temperate crop. It does best at higher altitudes in the tropics where there is a greater difference between day and night temperatures. Seed germinate when soil temperature is between 13-16°C. It does not grow properly when temperatures are above 26°C. New varieties grow in warmer places. It is mostly above 1000 m altitude in the tropics. They are frost resistant. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Albania, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bougainville, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Central America, China, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, East Africa, East Timor, Eswatini, Europe, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Moldova, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rotuma, Russia, Sahel, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Serbia, Sikkim, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Yugoslavia, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat. Stems can be eaten boiled or pickled. The seeds can be sprouted and eaten.

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. Cabbages are very common and popular in high altitudes areas of Papua New Guinea.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds, stems, vegetable

How it is grown

Plants are normally first grown from seeds. But in most places they are re-grown from cuttings or sprouts that develop on the cut stalk.

Cabbages take 5-7 months to be ready for harvest.

Its other names

Local names

Bandha-kopi, Cobaj, Col, Ghobi, Kabeji, Kapusta, Kepeje kakalu, Kaveti kovu, Kaveti olo, Kobi-htoke, Laisoa, Monla-htoke, Mon-laptus, Repoluu, Te kabeti, Thapa-bo

Synonyms

Brassica capitata (Linnaeus) H. Léveillé.;