Brassicas, Brassica oleracea

The brassica/cabbage genus comes in a wide variety of forms – from the thick red and white cabbages to the delicate Brussels sprouts and the robust green and black brassicas. All of these varieties belong to the large cruciferous family, whose high content of mustard oils gives them their typical cabbage flavor. This makes cabbage a relative of radishes, radishes, cress, wasabi and around 3000 other species that also belong to the cruciferous family.

Incredible variety

According to scientists, the wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) is the ancestor of the vegetable cabbage (Brassica oleracea). The wild form was cultivated thousands of years ago, but can still be found today, for example in the Mediterranean region and in more northern European countries. All wild and cultivated forms can be crossed with each other. The different varieties were created through mutation, i.e. sudden, random genetic changes. For example,
round cabbage as a mutation of the main shoot, Brussels sprouts from shoot buds, broccoli from flower buds, cauliflower from flower shoots, kohlrabi from the bulb or the leaves as kale.

Today’s vegetable brassica cultivars are mostly annual to biennial plants with growth heights ranging from less than half a meter to more than a meter. The leaves, which are alternately arranged on the stem, often have bluish, bare or bristly leaf stalks, cleft or undivided leaves and predominantly yellow flowers in racemose or paniculate inflorescences. Pollination is carried out by insects or self-pollination. The fruit is a pod, usually with many spherical seeds.

Brassicas are cool-season crops that are best suited to a maritime climate with mild temperatures. Depending on the variety, optimum harvests are achieved between 12 and 18 °C. Most plants cannot tolerate longer periods of frost or temperatures above 30 °C. Brassicas loves deep, nutrient-rich soil in a climate that is as evenly moist as possible.

From Europe to the world

The wild form of the Brassica was originally native to the southern coastal areas of Europe. It grew on rocks, partly on coastal cliffs, but also in mountains. The wild brassica did not yet have firm heads, but rather loosely arranged, thick leaves like kale. People began cultivating brassicas several thousand years ago. The Greeks were already aware of its healing properties in the 4th century BC. The Romans also cultivated brassicas and grew it as a garden vegetable. Brassicas were eaten in soups and was also pickled. In the Middle Ages, brassicas began its triumphal march around the planet. Brassicas reached Asia and China via the Silk Road and Africa via trade routes. In the 16th century, brassicas reached America through the Frenchman Jacques Cartier – in what is now Quebec, brassicas grew in one of the earliest documented European gardens in North America. Today, brassicas are grown and eaten on all continents.

In 2022, over 70 million tons of brassicas were harvested worldwide, almost 80 percent of which by the ten largest producers, with China, India and Russia in the top spots.

Delicacies of the world

The different cabbage vegetables can be found in many delicious variations on menus around the world:

• Norway: Cabbage and lamb are the main ingredients of the near-national dish Fårikål
• Brazil: the national dish feijoada often includes cabbage as well as beans and pork
• Eastern Europe: Cabbage is an integral part of the cuisine. Here it is eaten as sauerkraut, stew, soup or roulade.
• India: Cauliflower in particular is found in many Indian curries or is deep-fried coated in batter (pakora).
• USA: a popular way to eat cabbage here is coleslaw, a salad of white cabbage with a little carrot and lots of mayonnaise.

In addition to all these delicacies for humans, cabbage is also used as a plant to feed animals. Whereas in the Middle Ages, surplus cabbage or inferior specimens ended up in the feed trough, the targeted cultivation of fodder cabbage began in England in the 19th century. Fodder cabbage is also grown as an intercrop after cereals, and as a foundation crop.

Cabbage as a superfood

Vegetable cabbage provides many healthy ingredients, such as fiber, which have a positive effect on digestion and ensure long-lasting satiety. All cabbage varieties consist of around 90 percent water, contain very little fat and the carbohydrate content is also low. The calorie content is therefore a low 25 kcal per 100 grams.

The cruciferous plants and therefore also our brassicas are known for their extremely healthy properties. All varieties of cabbage have a high vitamin content, especially beta-carotene, folic acid, the B group vitamins and vitamins C and K. There are also many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and copper.

Broccoli in particular has become a symbol of healthy eating in the USA, but also around the world.

Many cabbage varieties have also been known as medicinal plants since ancient times – an attribute to which recent research has devoted a great deal of attention to, with numerous studies. It has been proven that the secondary plant substances are primarily responsible for their healing effect. The mustard oils and sulphurous compounds in cabbage, for example, reduce the risk of certain cancers and influence the immune system. They protect white blood cells from cell damage caused by carcinogenic substances and neutralise free radicals, i.e. cell-damaging oxygen molecules. A large number of different polyphenols such as flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids are also effective as secondary substances. Both groups of substances have a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect. Hydroxycinnamic acids counteract obesity and related diseases, e.g. in the digestive system. The flavonoids also have anti-allergic, anti-viral, anti-microbial and anti-carcinogenic properties and are said to protect against cardiovascular diseases. So let’s eat ourselves towards health: with broccoli and brussels sprouts as a preventative measure against cancer, with kale against retinal diseases, rheumatism and Alzheimer’s, with cauliflower against chronic intestinal inflammation, with red cabbage against obesity and cardiovascular diseases, with kohlrabi against sleep disorders and depressive moods, with sauerkraut as a probiotic or a cabbage compress for rheumatism and arthritis – are you curious?

Sources

Planet Knowledge: Cabbage. Link.
Zentrum der Gesundheit: Cabbage – The varieties and health aspects. Link.
Mabry et al (2021): The Evolutionary History of Wild, Domesticated, and Feral Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae). Link.