Cabbage history
The botanical name for cabbage is Brassica oleracea capitata. The English name cabbage comes from the French caboche, meaning head, referring to its round form.Cabbage has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years and domesticated for over 2,500 years. Although cabbage is often connected to the Irish, the Celts brought cabbage to Europe from Asia around 600 B.C. Since cabbage grows well in cool climates, yields large harvests, and stores well during winter, it soon became a major crop in Europe.
Early cabbage was not the full-bodied head we take for granted today, but rather a more loose-leaf variety. The head variety was developed during the Middle Ages by northern European farmers.
It was French navigator Jacques Cartier who brought cabbage to the Americas in 1536.
Taking only three months growing time, one acre of cabbage will yield more edible vegetables than any other plant. Other related cabbage cousins include Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and cauliflower.
The world's largest cabbage is credited to William Collingwood of County Durham, England, whose prized cabbage in 1865 weighed in at 123 pounds.
More about Cabbage:
• Cabbage Cooking Tips• Cabbage Varieties
• Cabbage Selection and Storage
• Cabbage Measures and Equivalents
• Cabbage History
• Cabbage Legend and Lore
• Cabbage and Health
• Popular Cabbage Recipes
• Cabbage Recipes
Photo © 2006 Peggy Trowbridge, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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