The first European written record of this vegetable appears in 1554, yet the plant had already been growing in the wild for millennia before a botanist named Mattioli noticed it. Mattioli wrote that the vegetable had come lately into Italy, marking the beginning of its journey from a forgotten wild cabbage to a global staple. This biennial cultivar, scientifically known as Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group, is a low, stout plant that defies the expectations of its common names. Despite being called the German turnip or turnip cabbage, it shares no species with the actual turnip or rutabaga, even though all three belong to the genus Brassica. The name itself is a linguistic hybrid, combining the German word for cabbage with a Swiss German term for turnip, reflecting the swollen stem that resembles the root vegetable it is not. Its scientific group name, Gongylodes, derives from the Greek word for roundish, describing the nearly spherical shape that artificial selection has forced upon the plant.
A Family Of One
Kohlrabi is a member of a vast botanical family that includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, and gai lan. All of these vegetables are bred from the same species, wild cabbage, yet they have been shaped by human hands into entirely different forms. While broccoli produces a flowering head and Brussels sprouts form small buds along a stalk, kohlrabi develops a swollen, nearly spherical lateral meristem. This unique growth pattern creates a stem that is distinct from the roots of other vegetables. The plant matures in 55 to 60 days after sowing, and once it reaches full size, it can stand in the field for up to 30 days without losing quality. The Gigante cultivar, also known as Superschmelz, is an exception to the rule that size equals toughness, capable of achieving great dimensions while retaining good eating quality. Most other varieties become woody if they grow much larger than 10 centimeters in diameter, but the Gigante defies this limitation.The Apple Of The Garden
The texture of young kohlrabi is so crisp and juicy that it can be compared to an apple, although it lacks the fruit's sweetness. The flavor profile is milder and sweeter than a broccoli stem or cabbage heart, with a higher ratio of flesh to skin. This unique quality makes it a favorite for raw consumption, often sliced thinly for salads or slaws. The plant produces two distinct fibrous layers that surround the bulbous stem, and these layers do not soften appreciably when cooked. Consequently, cooks must peel these layers away before serving, which often results in a smaller amount of edible food than the intact appearance suggests. The leaves are also edible and can be used similarly to collard greens and kale, though they require longer cooking times. In Cyprus, the vegetable is popularly sprinkled with salt and lemon and served as an appetizer, highlighting its versatility across different culinary traditions.