Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

Brassica oleracea (Gongylodes group), a bizarre form of the common cabbage in which the base of the stem swells into a globe the size of an orange while the leaves remain comparatively slight. The globe, which forms just above the surface of the soil, is the part of the plant of most interest to the cook. When young, this has the texture of a good turnip and a flavour which has elements of both turnip and cauliflower. However, the stems which spring from the globe, and their leaves, are also palatable and resemble cabbage.