What is the name of cabbage that looks like a turnip?
One of the botanical varieties of cabbage has an external resemblance to a turnip. The origin of the plant is associated with the Eastern Mediterranean. The unusual-looking vegetable is cultivated in Europe, Asia and North America. Thanks to simple agricultural technology, it is grown even in the northern regions of Russia.
What is the name of cabbage that looks like a turnip?
Kohlrabi is the name given to cabbage that has a spherical stem. The word is derived from the German Kohl (“cabbage”) and Rabi (“turnip”). The Italian name cavolo rapa has the same meaning. Kohlrabi is also called cabbage turnip.
What does kohlrabi look like?
The culture is a biennial plant. Its main feature is the absence of a head of tightly packed leaves. In the first year of growth, a turnip-shaped stem fruit is formed (in the lower part of the stem), on which petiolate leaves grow.
Other cultural features:
- The average diameter of the stem fruit is from 10 to 15 cm, weight – from 150 to 500 g. Late varieties are distinguished by their large size, weight sometimes reaching 3 kg.
- The pulp is snow-white in any variety (regardless of external features), with a dense structure.
- Large elongated leaves with jagged edges are ovoid or triangular in shape.
- The color of the peel is light or red-purple, the leaves are green with different shades depending on the variety.
Flowering and seed formation in most species occurs in the second year.. White or yellow corollas up to 1.5 cm wide grow on the shoots.At the same time, lignification of the tissues occurs - the overripe stem fruit becomes unsuitable for food.
Taste of kohlrabi
The plant stem and leaves are used in cooking. Turnip cabbage has tender pulp. The youngest specimens have the best taste.
Attention! It is recommended to eat stem fruits with a diameter of 6-10 cm. Overgrown ones become tough and fibrous. Early ripening white varieties have the most tender pulp.
Kohlrabi fruits contain a rich vitamin and mineral complex, enzymes and fiber. The taste of the vegetable is sweetish due to the sucrose content. It resembles the stalk of white cabbage, but is juicier and has no bitterness.
Taste characteristics change during cooking:
- When grated, kohlrabi acquires a nutty flavor with notes of celery. After dressing with vegetable oil, the pulp resembles a radish, but more tender.
- Boiled kohlrabi tastes similar to both turnips and white cabbage. At the same time, the pulp retains its sweetness and juiciness.
Before eating, the stem fruit is peeled and washed with cold water. Kohlrabi can be stewed, fried, boiled, or eaten raw. The vegetable is used for baking in breadcrumbs or batter, stem fruits preserve, dried.
The leaves of turnip cabbage are also edible and taste like spinach.
Popular varieties of kohlrabi cabbage with photos and descriptions
Kohlrabi is an unpretentious plant that is highly resistant to diseases and pests. Cabbage gets along well with other vegetable crops and bears fruit in open and protected ground. Thanks to these features, it is grown throughout Russia. The short ripening period allows you to harvest 2-2.5 months after landings.
Important! Compared to other subspecies of cabbage, the crop is less demanding on the composition of the soil, but it requires timely watering. On dry soil, stem fruits have an unattractive appearance and grow small and coarse.
There are the most common varieties, they differ in the speed of ripening, storage characteristics and appearance.
Deli red
This variety is classified as ultra-early ripening. The ripening period ranges from 65 to 75 days. The plant is frost-resistant.
External features:
- the stem fruit is red-violet;
- diameter – from 8 to 10 cm;
- weight – from 1.5 to 2 kg.
When sowing seeds monthly, you can harvest 3-4 crops. The advantages of the variety are resistance to lignification and cracking. The stem does not outgrow and does not produce flower shoots. Does not lose taste during long-term storage (until spring) and transportation.
The variety is valued for its taste. It is distinguished by a rich vitamin complex and high sugar content.
Giant
The plant belongs to the late-ripening Czech varieties. The main difference is the large semi-vertical rosette of leaves. The period from the first shoots to harvest is from 89 to 100 days.
Appearance:
- the stem fruit is whitish with a greenish tint, has a concave apex;
- weight reaches 2.5-3 kg;
- diameter – from 15 to 20 cm;
- The gray-green leaf blade is broadly oval (medium waxy coating, whitish-green veins).
The stem fruits are distinguished by their juiciness. The variety is resistant to drought, the vegetable is suitable for long-term storage.
Viennese
The most common varieties include Viennese kohlrabi. It comes in two versions - white and blue.
Blue
The mid-early variety has a ripening period of 72 to 87 days and is frost-resistant. External description:
- stem fruit of bluish-purple color (round-flat shape);
- average weight – 160 g;
- diameter - about 8 cm.
The peculiarity of the variety is that the stem fruit is located high above the ground and practically does not outgrow. Suitable for storage.
White
This is an early ripening variety, the period of formation of stem fruits before harvesting is from 65 to 78 days. During the season it is possible to collect up to four harvests.
Cabbage has juicy pulp and a high sugar content. External features:
- semi-raised socket;
- light green stem fruit;
- diameter – from 7 to 9 cm;
- weight – about 100 g.
The variety is drought-resistant, but is prone to overgrowth and is unsuitable for long-term storage.
This is interesting:
Simple and delicious recipes for making sauerkraut with vinegar.
A selection of the best varieties of cabbage for pickling and storing for the winter.
Violet
The variety belongs to the late-ripening varieties of Czech selection, one of the most frost-resistant. From the first shoots to harvest it takes 70 to 78 days.
External features:
- stem fruit is dark purple (with a bluish tint);
- shape – round-flat;
- weight – from 1.5 to 2 kg;
- semi-vertical leaf rosette (50-70 cm in diameter);
- blue-green leaves of a flat oval shape (light purple veins).
It is characterized by average shelf life during winter storage.
Reference! Violetta is one of the varieties used to decorate garden landscapes.
Kossak
The late-ripening variety has high taste qualities. The leaf rosette is located semi-vertically, it is formed by large leaves of dark green color. Wax coating is medium.
Peculiarities:
- stem fruit yellow-green;
- weight – from 450 to 600 g;
- shape - ellipsoid with a flat top.
This variety is especially common in regions with cold climates.
Conclusion
Kohlrabi is a healthy and tasty vegetable with a rich chemical composition, which is easy to grow in your own summer cottage. When choosing a variety, it is important to take into account the climate of the region and shelf life if you intend to store the crop in winter. Some varieties of kohlrabi can become not only a useful product, but also a decoration for the garden.