Types Of Cabbage

Cabbage belongs to the family Brassicaceae. It is a leafy vegetable and available throughout the year. Cabbage is consumed all over the world and forms a vital ingredient of soups, salads, stews and many other recipes. Cabbage derived its name from coleslaw, a popular food item in which the main ingredient is cabbage. 'Cole' in old English means cabbage. Cabbage is easy to cook and nutritionally rich. We are only familiar with three to four variants of cabbage that are available in the market but there are around 400 varieties across the world.

Types Of Cabbage

Cabbages are classified according to their cutting season or appearance or place of origin.

Summer Cabbage
Summer cabbage is popularly called as drumhead. It is sown in mid February and kept inside the greenhouse for a couple of months. It is then transplanted outside the greenhouse and is ready for harvest after June. Cabbages of this type are mostly round, but Greyhound and Hispi are the two varieties which are conical in shape.

Spring Cabbage
Spring cabbage is also called as collard. They are sown in July, transplanted in September or October and become ready for harvest in February. These cabbages are conical in shape and their leaves are loosely held. Since the cabbages are transplanted in winter they have to be protected from the winds.

Winter Cabbage
They are sown in late April, transplanted in July and become ready for harvest in November. They are perfectly round in shape or drumhead. They are hard and have a greater shelf life.

Red Cabbage
As the name suggests, it is deep red, rather purple in color. Though it is mostly used for pickling, it can be added as a coloring agent for certain recipes. Meteor, Ruby Ball, Scarlet O’Hara and Red Rodan are some red cabbage varieties.

Savoy Cabbage
Savoy cabbage is a variety with crinkled leaves. They are sown in April and the harvest period begins after November. Some fast maturing varieties of savoy cabbage are also available. Crinkled-leafed cabbage is widely preferred as compared to the smoother variants. They are mostly used in stews and for garnishing purpose. Savoy cabbage varieties include Salarite, Savonarch, Promasa and Wivoy

Chinese Cabbage
It is also called as 'Bok Choy' and is distinguished by its dark green leaves and white stem. The leaves are loosely held and are used in cooking along with the stem. They taste very much like celery. Chinese cabbage varieties include Michihli, Pe-Tsai, Lei-choi, Tai-sai and Pakchoi.

Common Nappa Cabbage
They are light green in color with crinkled leaves. They have a compact head rested upon a white stem. The Nappa cabbage can be consumed raw. It is also used in several stir fry or steamed recipes. It is milder in taste as compared to other varieties.

Green Cabbage
This is the most commonly available cabbage variety. It is pale in color with tightly held leaves. It is used in soups and slaws. Grenadier, Charmant, and January King are some green cabbage varieties.

You can try out some unfamiliar cabbage varieties listed above and add an altogether new taste to your usual cabbage recipe. Also you can try cultivating cabbage in your garden by studying the soil and temperature conditions in your area.