Cabbage is
a leafy green or purple biennial plant, grown as an annual vegetable
crop for its dense leaved heads. Closely related to other cole crops, such
as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, it descends
from B. oleraceavar. oleracea, a wild field cabbage. Cabbage heads generally range from 0.5 to 4
kilograms (1 to 9 lb), and can be green, purple and white.
Smooth-leafed firm-headed green
cabbages are the most common, with smooth-leafed red and
crinkle-leafed savoy cabbages of both colors seen more rarely. It is a
multi-layered vegetable. Under conditions of long sunlit days such as are found
at high northern latitudes in summer, cabbages can grow much larger.
It
is difficult to trace the exact history of cabbage, but it was most likely
domesticated somewhere in Europe before 1000
BC, although savoys were not developed until the 16th century. By
the middle Ages, it had become a prominent part of European cuisine.
Cabbage heads are generally picked during the first year of the
plant’s life cycle, but plants intended for seed are allowed to grow a
second year, and must be kept separated from other cole crops to
prevent cross-pollination. Cabbage is prone to several nutrient
deficiencies, as well as multiple pests, bacterial and fungal diseases.
The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that world production of cabbage and
other brassicas is almost 69 million metric tons. Almost half of these
crops are grown in China ,
where Chinese cabbage is the most popular Brassica vegetable.
Cabbages are prepared in many different ways for eating. They can be pickled,
fermented for dishes such as sauerkraut, steamed, stewed, sautéed, braised,
or eaten raw. Cabbage is a good source of vitamin K, vitamin
C and dietary fiber. Contaminated cabbage has been linked to cases
of food-borne illness in humans.
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