Cabbage Head

The cabbage, Brassica oleracea, is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae. It is a herbaceous biennial with leaves that form a compact head. The cabbage... more

by Robert Bales

Title

Cabbage Head

Artist

Robert Bales

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

The cabbage, Brassica oleracea, is a plant of the Family Brassicaceae. It is a herbaceous biennial with leaves that form a compact head. The cabbage is derived from a leafy wild mustard plant, native to the Mediterranean region. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and was praised for its medicinal properties, declaring that "it is first of all the vegetables.
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The only part of the plant that is normally eaten is the leafy head and the spherical cluster of immature leaves. The so-called 'cabbage head' is widely consumed raw, cooked, or preserved in a great variety of dishes.

Cabbages keep well and were thus a common winter vegetable before refrigeration and long-distance shipping of produce.

Sturdy, abundant and inexpensive, cabbage is a longstanding dietary staple throughout the world, widely cultivated and stores so well that it is available throughout the year.

Uploaded

January 28th, 2015