Cabbage (Fresh)
Ingredient Name: Cabbage, white cabbage
Chinese Name: 捲心菜 (juǎn xīn cài)
A very versatile ingredient which I love to put in soups, stews and fried dishes. It’s high in fiber and easily absorbs the flavor of whatever ingredients you put into the dish. I especially love it when the cabbages becomes soft and you eat it like a meal (in soups). Definitely one of my stock vegetables to have in the fridge and they actually last for awhile if you forget about it! HAHA….
What is this?
- A leafy vegetable that is often greenish-white in color. There is also a purple variety that is produced for consumption.
- It is a layered vegetable with a short stem
- A popular good common to Central and Eastern Europe
- It is grown as a “head” and therefore looks like a head
- It has quite a substantial weight for its size as the vegetable is quite dense
- There are various types of cabbage (long, short, various colors) and most of them are grown in China
How do I prepare it?
- Peel each leaf and rinse in cold water
- Usually the outer leaves are not used if they are floppy or unhealthy looking
- Cut in edible pieces if necessary (see picture below)
Where can I buy this?
- Available in fresh marts in Hong Kong
- Also available fresh in supermarkets
What is the cost?
- 1 cabbage as pictured above cost $6 HKD
Any benefits?
- Excellent source of Vitamin C
- Contains significant amount of an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties
- Cabbage is known to slow down the growth of cancerous cells
Any precautions?
- Cabbages are known to have infestation of various insects and pests so be sure to peel each leaf and rinse thorough in cold water
Any substitutes?
- In soups and stews, can be replaced with zucchini or cauliflower and other relatively “dry” vegetables (unlike lettuce that when fried, emits water)
