I can eat cabbage every day, and I will be eager to eat it each time equally. I think cabbage is the easiest vegetable one can within the kitchen. It can easily be blended with other vegetables and meats. The purpose of this write up is to learn some more information about the cabbage we are about to enjoy.
The largest cabbage in the world is found in Alaska. This is attributed to the long hours that the sun shines in Alaska during the summertime. The sun shines for an extended 20 hours, the extended sun is good for making the vegetables bigger and sweater.
Here are some interesting facts about cabbage you may not have known.
INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT CABBAGE
- Cabbage belongs to the Cruciferae family, a Latinword meaning cross, because the flowers are cross-shaped.It is from the Brassica oleracea species.
- Cabbage has its origins from the Shensi Province, China around 4,000 B.C.
- Cabbages are ancient and traditional vegetable crops which have been cultivated for the last 4000 years.
- Cabbages are considered the national food of Russia due to its highest consumption rate in the world.
- AncientChinese believed that cabbage was magic curefor baldness in men.
- Cabbage was thought to be food for poor people, until people were enlightened about its nutritious properties which has made it one of the most nutritional vegetables
- Cabbages arepresent in varieties like the Red Cabbage sometimes called the purple Cabbage, the Green Cabbage, andthe Napa Cabbage, usually found in Chinese cooking.
- Cabbage is healthy being low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Cabbages are high in dietary fibers, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, thiamin, vitamin B6, calcium and iron.
- A thick-witted person is sometimes referred to as a cabbagehead.
- Red cabbage makes an excellent all-natural dye in food or on fabric. 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Cabbage
- Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked.
TYPES OF CABBAGE
There are several varieties of cabbage throughout the world, but we shall look at the four most common types of cabbages on the market that is; Green, Red, Savoy, and Napa Cabbages
GREEN CABBAGE
Green cabbage is the most common type of cabbage grown and eaten in Uganda. The large round cabbage head has densely packed thick leaves. It has dark green tough leaves on the outside that protect the softer pale green leaves on the inside. Green cabbages have a crunchy texture and peppery flavour. Green cabbages are sweet and soft when cooked, but have a peppery taste when raw. A good cabbage is often selected by tapping on the top, a well-formed cabbage will give a higher sound or pitch while a cabbage that is not properly formed and parked will sound hollow when you tap it. Green cabbages are used in making salads both cooked and raw. Some people cook cabbage as their main sauce for eating, it can be pasted with groundnuts or added to meat stews like chicken, pork stew. Green cabbage is one of the main vegetable ingredients of a Ugandan Rolex; the cabbage added a crunchy sweet taste to the Rolex that will leave you craving more.
RED OR PURPLE CABBAGE
There are many red cabbage varieties that have leaves with shades of colour between deep red and deep purple. Red or purple cabbage has a compound called anthocyanin which is the source of its colour. The red or purple colour will turn blue when cooked with alkaline substances like tap water. A teaspoon full of lemon, vinegar or wine which is acidic will help to restore the red colour of your cabbage.
Red cabbages generally take longer to mature than the green and other varieties, making them tough in nature. Red cabbage can be used in almost all the recipes that we make using green cabbage. One should, however, be aware that the red colour in the red cabbage will often dominate the colours of other ingredients.
SAVOY CABBAGE
Savoy cabbage has its origins in Italy. It is a type of green cabbage with crinkly bluish-green leaves. The savoy cabbage is considered the most tender and sweet of all the cabbage varieties. Its head is less compact due to the wrinkled leaves compared to firmly compact green cabbage. They are smaller than the green cabbage in size. The savoury cabbage maintains its natural colour when cooking making it perfect for salad dishes.
THE NAPA CABBAGE
It is also known as the Chinese cabbage or Korean cabbage having its origins in Asian countries. It is yellow-green in cooler, with an oblong head which has frills Napa cabbage has light subtle tasty leaves and crisp thick stems. It can be eaten raw, fermented or cooked. The Napa cabbage is one of the milder flavoured cabbages. Unlike regular cabbages, Napa cabbages don’t form around the oval heads. The head is a tightly packed collection of leaves that can grow up to 45 cm tall. Napa cabbage is often cooked and used in soups, stir-fries, or stews. These tender sweet cabbage leaves also make good wraps for pork or oyster dishes. It is popularly used to make Kimchi a fermented and spicy vegetable dish in Korea.