|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 The
cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata Group),
is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or
Cruciferae). It is a herbaceous, biennial,
and dicotyledonous flowering plant with
leaves forming a characteristic compact
cluster. Cabbages grown late in autumn and
in the beginning of winter are called
coleworts.
The cabbage is derived from a leafy wild
mustard plant, native to the Mediterranean
region. It was known to the ancient Greeks
and Romans; Cato the Elder praised this
vegetable for its medicinal properties,
declaring that "it is first of all the
vegetables".[1]. 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.see:
Stuffed Cabbage and Cabbage Rolls
Uses
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. Cabbage is a leaf
vegetable.
Raw
Raw cabbage is usually sliced into thin
strips or shredded for use in salads, such
as coleslaw. It can also replace iceberg
lettuce in sandwiches. Cabbage is an
excellent source of Vitamin C.
Cooked
Cabbage is often added to soups or stews.
Cabbage soup is popular in central Europe
and eastern Europe, and cabbage is an
ingredient in some kinds of borscht. Cabbage
is also used in many popular dishes in
India. Boiling tenderizes the leaves and
releases sugars, which leads to the
characteristic "cabbage" aroma. Boiled
cabbage has become stigmatized in North
America because of its strong cooking odor
and the belief that it causes flatulence.
Boiled cabbage as an accompaniment to meats
and other dishes can be an opportune source
of vitamins and dietary fiber. |
|
|
Stuffed cabbage is an East European and
Middle Eastern delicacy. The leaves are
softened by parboiling or placing the whole
head of cabbage in the freezer, and then
filled with chopped meat and/or rice.
Fermented and preserved
Cabbage is the basis for the German
sauerkraut and Korean kimchi. To pickle
cabbage it is placed in a jar, covered with
water and salt, and left in a warm place for
several days to ferment. Sauerkraut was
historically prepared at home in large
batches, as a way of storing food for the
winter. Cabbage can also be pickled in
vinegar with various spices, alone or in
combination with other vegetables. Korean
baechu kimchi is usually sliced thicker than
its European counterpart, and the addition
of onions, chilies, minced garlic and
gingers is common.
Medicinal properties
In European folk medicine, cabbage leaves
are used to treat acute inflammation.[2] A
paste of raw cabbage may be placed in a
cabbage leaf and wrapped around the affected
area to reduce discomfort. Some claim it is
effective in relieving painfully engorged
breasts in breastfeeding women.[3]
Cabbage contains significant amounts of
glutamine, an amino acid, which has
anti-inflammatory properties.
It is a source of indol-3-carbinol, or I3C,
a compound used as an adjuvent therapy for
recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, a
disease of the head and neck caused by human
papillomavirus (usually types 6 and 11) that
causes growths in the airway that can lead
to death.
Varieties
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.
Cultivation
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.
Control of insect pests is important,
particularly in commercial production where
appearance is a driver of success. The
pesticides sevin and malathion are both
listed for use on cabbage. The caterpillars
of some butterflies in the family Pieridae
(the "whites") feed on brassicas and can be
serious pests; see also List of Lepidoptera
that feed on Brassica.
Cabbages keep well and were thus a common
winter vegetable before refrigeration and
long-distance shipping of produce.
China is leader in production of cabbages
followed by India and then Russian
Federation.
Related Brassica oleracea varieties
Besides cabbage proper, the species Brassica
oleracea has many distinctive cultivars,
which are commonly known by other names:
broccoli (Italica Group), cauliflower
(Botrytis Group), kale, collard greens, and
spring greens (Acephala Group), kohlrabi (Gongylodes
Group), brussels sprouts (Gemmifera Group),
Chinese kale or Chinese broccoli (Alboglabra
Group), broccolini (Italica × Alboglabra
Group), and broccoflower (Italica × Botrytis
Group).
Linguistic associations
During World War II, "kraut" (cabbage) was a
racial slur for Germans. In Hebrew, the term
"rosh kruv" (cabbage head) implies
stupidity.
In England in the late 1950s, French
language teachers taught from a textbook the
phrase "ma petite chou" -- my little cabbage
-- as an endearment from a man to a woman.
This is still used today as can be seen at:
“See there ma petite chou, now everything is
worked out.” Patricia turned and walked back
to the desk. “Gérard, why must you call me
ma petite chou all the time?” “Ma chérie, it
is an endearment. If you understood that in
French…” She cut him off mid sentence. “I
know what it means Gérard. Even with my
limited French vocabulary I know that it
means my small cabbage.” “But that is not
the endearment. You do not understand…”'
In England, cabbage is a slang synonym for
"cash", especially paper money. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
