With so many light and flavorful ways to cook cabbage, and with dozens of varieties to choose from—pale green heads, crispy reds, snappy Savoys, and jewels from the Orient—it’s sad to think that there are still cooks who see it as an odoriferous, unpleasant vegetable that should be avoided. Cabbage needn’t be boiled to an overcooked pulp. Simply braised, steamed, and stir-fried—or served shredded and raw-it is just delicious.
Varieties of Cabbage
Green cabbage : This is the most common variety. It has a mild flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Head sizes range from that of a large grapefruit to the size of a honeydew melon, to sometimes as big as a pumpkin.Red cabbage : This cabbage looks just like green cabbage except for its deep reddish purple color. Red cabbage takes longer to cook than green. It is often finely slivered and mixed with green in cole slaws.Savoy cabbage : This is certainly one of the prettiest vegetables. It is green with ruffled, deeply ridged and veined leaves. The lacy leaves often have a white trim, sometimes a reddish tint as well. Unlike the green and red head cabbages, the Savoy’s leaves are loose. Some simply call it curly cabbage.Chinese, celery, or Napa cabbage : In appearance these cabbages, which fit under a very general heading of Chinese cabbage, are nothing at all like head cabbages. They look more like a cross between celery and lettuce, with long pearly stalks and rumpled celadon green leaves—very much like romaine lettuce. Their flavor is more delicate than head cabbage with a very fresh, slightly peppery taste. They are excellent in stir-fries or raw in salads.Bok choy (pak chot ) : This cabbage resembles Swiss chard with its long, thick-stemmed, light green to pearly white stalks. The flavor is very much like cabbage, just a bit fresher tasting. You can certainly eat bok choy raw, but it takes just a quick stir-fry to mellow the flavor a bit while retaining its crisp texture.
