Corned beef and cabbage. Cole slaw. Sauerkraut. Stir fry. All great. All appropriate avenues for cabbage. But when you head to the supermarket to buy this crunchy vegetable, there isn’t just one big bin of cabbage. There are different types of cabbage, some smaller, some larger, some different colors, and some different textures. Which leads us to the question, what’s up with all those different types of cabbage? Well, this is what’s up:
Green Cabbage
This is what you think of, when you think of cabbage. This is the OG. This is the archetype. This is the worldwide option. Green cabbage is good for just about everything. You can slice it for vinegar-y or mayonnaise-y slaw, braise it alongside hefty meats, ferment it to make sauerkraut, stir fry it with some soy and protein, slice or chop it in a salad, or char the hell out of it by roasting or grilling. This is all thanks to green cabbage’s sturdiness. The ribs (the thick parts toward the core) are very hefty, which makes them hold up to more aggressive cooking.
Red Cabbage
All the stuff you can do with green cabbage, you can also do with red. From a texture standpoint, they’re almost identical. Red cabbage is just a bit, well, prettier. We really love to quick-pickle sliced red cabbage or use it in a vinegar-based slaw on top of some tacos. A word of warning though. The color of red cabbage bleeds into the surrounding ingredients, so if you don’t want things turning a little bit purple, stick with green.
Napa Cabbage
This is the most tender of the cabbage varieties. Napa cabbage caramelizes really well, picking up nice color quickly, since the leaves are thinner and ribs less hearty. It’s also our favorite to slice, dress with oil, acid, and seasoning, and serve it. Napa cabbage is the most like a lettuce, in that regard. It’s good to go, as is. The only thing to keep in mind with Napa cabbage is that it wilts very quickly, so if you’re using it raw, make sure to move with haste.
Savoy Cabbage
If you were to make a painting or a sculpture or a poem about a cabbage, it would be about savoy. It’s beautiful. Savoy’s leaves have a wonderful, waffle-knit texture that makes them visually striking. And that texture gives a slight elasticity, which makes the leaves ideal for dishes like stuffed cabbage or cabbage rolls. We also love savoy sliced in soup, as a green in salads, and of course, in slaws. Cabbage will never be able to escape the slaw life. And that’s fine with us.