What is the real name for the vegetable “kolorabi”?
It was originally bred from wild cabbage, or Brassica oleracea, as were a number of different vegetables. Note that these different vegetables are not different species, but merely different varieties of Brassica oleracea selected by man: # Broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica group) # Brussels sprout (Brassica oleracea Gemmifera group) # Cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata group) # Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea Botrytis group) # Kale (Brassica oleracea Acephala group) # Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group) Obviously this encompasses a variety of different forms and flavors. It’s a great example of what man was able to do using selective breeding long before the days of genetic engineering. Brassica oleracea (the wild plant–not necessarily kohlabi itself) originates from the Atlantic seaboard of Europe and the Mediterranean. It has been used as a vegetable for more than 2500 years. Kale most closely resembles the wild plant.
