 The
cabbage
It is
herbaceous, biennial, and a dicotyledonous
flowering plant with leaves forming a
characteristic compact cluster. This
so-called 'cabbage head' is widely consumed
— raw, cooked, or preserved — in a great
variety of dishes, and is thus a leaf
vegetable.
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. Cabbages are commonly used both
cooked and as a salad vegetable. Sauerkraut
is a fermented cabbage often used as a
condiment or side dish.
Salads
Cabbage leaves are considered too tough to
be used whole in salads, so they are usually
sliced into thin strips or chopped, as in
coleslaw.
Cooking
Cabbage is often prepared by boiling,
usually as part of soups or stews such as
the Central and Eastern European borscht.
Boiling tenderizes the leaves, converts some
of their starch to sugars, and develops a
characteristic "cabbage" aroma. Indeed,
boiled cabbage seem to have fallen out of
favor in North America, possibly due to the
strong smell released during the cooking, to
its image as a food of the poor, or to its
reputation for promoting flatulence. Boiled
cabbage as an accompaniment to meats and
other dishes can be an opportune source of
umami, sugars and dietary fiber. |
