Vegetable
Brassica oleracea
S tier
Brassica oleracea as cabbage is the heading leaf form—tight green, white, red, and savoy heads built from stacked leaves around a short stem. Sweetness rises after frost; raw crunch and sulphur notes define slaws and ferments. The same species yields kale and broccoli; cabbage identity is the dense spherical or pointed head. Shred raw, ferment to sauerkraut or kimchi bases, braise, or roast wedges. Species covers green, white European, and related heading market classes listed here. Keep cold; cut heads brown at edges if mishandled.
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History
Heading cabbage forms were selected from Mediterranean leafy brassicas.
Medieval European diets relied on stored cabbage through winter.
Sauerkraut culture industrialised cabbage as a preserved staple.
Global commodity green cabbage heads became year-round supermarket fixtures.