KOHLRABI

Kohlrabi looks more like a turnip than a cabbage. The size of the swollen stem, which is the edible part, ranges from that of an orange to nearly that of a soccer ball. The skin may be light green, or purple, or reddish.

Plant Names
Botanical Family: 
Brassicaceae
Common Name: 
KOHLRABI
Genus: 
Brassica
Species: 
oleracea gongylodes
About the Name: 

brassica is the name used by the Romans for cabbage, and oleracea for "vegetable-like"; gongylodes means "round" in Greek.

Origins: 

Europe, kohlrabi was selected from the cabbage only about five centuries ago. Kohlrabi is recorded in cultivation on the continent in the 14th century, the English taking a shine to it three centuries later.

Plant Description: 

Kohlrabi looks more like a turnip than a cabbage. The size of the swollen stem, which is the edible part, ranges from that of an orange to nearly that of a soccer ball. The skin may be light green, or purple, or reddish.

Variety Notes: 

Artichoke Leaf and Blue Delicatesse. The Chinese have adopted this vegetable and developed a good many strains and recipes.