Cabbage

A descendant of cabbage

Cabbage belongs to the same species as broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower — Brassica oleracea. The ancestor wild cabbage of the Mediterranean produces no head; centuries of selection bred the dense, tightly furled heads we know.

Fermenting the world’s most fermented vegetable

Cabbage is the substrate for two of the world’s most consumed fermented foods:

• Sauerkraut — German, simply shredded cabbage and salt, fermented by lactic acid bacteria for weeks.
• Kimchi — Korean, with chili, garlic, ginger, scallion, and (usually) fish sauce. South Korea adopted kimjang (the autumn kimchi-making) as UNESCO intangible heritage.

Both rely on the same biology: salting the cabbage extracts water, creates a salty brine, and selects for Lactobacillus species that produce lactic acid. The acid preserves the cabbage and creates the sour tang.

Sulfur and cooking

Cabbage contains glucosinolates — sulfur-containing compounds released as gases when the cells are crushed or overcooked, producing the school-cafeteria smell often associated with the vegetable. Brief cooking (5 minutes or less) keeps the smell mild and preserves more of the vitamin C.

Compact, productive, cheap

Cabbage is among the most yield-per-acre crops grown in cool climates and stores for months without refrigeration in a cool root cellar — features that made it a staple of peasant cuisines from Ireland to Korea.