Discover the Crunchy Truth: Top 11 Surprising Cabbage Fun Facts You Can't Miss

1. Cabbage's Journey to America

Hold on to your heads, lettuce fans: Cabbage, our leafy-headed veggie cousin, was introduced to Canada by Jacques Cartier in 1541 and later to the modern United States in the 1660s, giving the American soil a good ol' "caboce" hug, inspired by the Old French word for "head." To top it all off, the cabbage-butterfly caterpillar chomps on our beloved cabbages, earning its name and solidifying cabbage's place in the insect and human world alike!
Source => etymonline.com

2. Babies in Cabbage Patches

Forget storks and their grumpy airborne deliveries, it was all about cabbage patch babies in the olden days: Prior to Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale "The Storks," which cemented the fable of storks delivering newborns, late 19th-century postcards depicted babies growing among cabbages, promulgating the whimsical myth that infants were discovered in cabbage patches.
Source => whanganuiregionalmuseum.wordpress.com

Did you know kale becomes sweeter after a heavy frost and can withstand temperatures as low as -15.0° Celsius? Discover more about this frosty treat's ancient origins and its curly-haired Greek cousins!

=> Fun Facts about Kale

3. Supersprouts Unleashed

Move over, superfoods—here come the supersprouts! It turns out those teenage stages of growth aren't just awkward for humans, as even red cabbages pack some hidden surprises in their tenders years: young shoots of red cabbage contain significantly higher levels of vitamin C, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity, as well as a mix of phytochemicals with potential anticancer properties—outshining their full-grown selves in both nutrition and disease-fighting power.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

4. Buddhist Vegan Masterchefs

If Buddha had a food blog, it would be totally vegan and packed with umami: The ancient Chinese Buddhist temples might have given the chefs of today's vegan cafes a run for their crispy tofu when it comes to plant-based deliciousness. Seriously: Zhai cai, a centuries-old subset of Chinese cookery, focuses on whipping up vegan dishes bursting with umami flavor, which you can now learn to cook from Hannah Che's cookbook, The Vegan Chinese Kitchen, featuring mouthwatering recipes like Sweet and Sour Tofu and Spicy Mushrooms in dan-dan Noodles.
Source => bestofvegan.com

5. The Extraordinary Greens League

Think of it as the superhero origin story of veggies - it's Brassica oleracea and the League of Extraordinary Greens: This coveted crew, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, all evolved from the same humble plant species, which once roamed freely along the coasts of Britain, France, and the Mediterranean before humans intervened with some selective breeding magic.
Source => vox.com

6. Alaskan Giant Cabbages

Feeding Audrey II in real-life: Massive cabbages from Alaska are even fit to impress a man-eating plant! These colossal greens have certainly been bulking up on their veggies, and their secret isn't Little Shop of Horrors-inspired chanting: In Alaska, clever farmers have perfected their cultivation techniques and seed selection to grow whopper cabbages weighing up to 138 pounds, a feat showcased at the Alaska State Fair. These behemoths need long summer days with limited darkness, daily hands-on care, and the perfect trifecta of watering, fertilizing, and utter devotion.
Source => npr.org

7. Red Cabbage's Seductive Powers

In the delicious world of '50 Shades of Produce', the sultry red cabbage whispers sweet nothings into your immune system and even seduces iron from the most stubborn plants: The racy secret behind this multitalented vegetable is its impressive vitamin C content, with just one cup of shredded red cabbage delivering over 50% of the recommended daily intake, bolstering your immunity and promoting iron absorption from plant-based foods.
Source => ctsciencecenter.org

8. Intergalactic Cabbage Misadventures

In a twisted tale of intergalactic gardening, Chinese cabbage boldly went where no leafy green has gone before: only to discover that life on the International Space Station (ISS) wasn't a bed of roses after all! The serious reveal: Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. cv. Tokyo Bekana) was initially considered a promising crop for astronauts to grow and munch on in space, but subsequent studies found that constant exposure to high levels of CO2 on the ISS led to stress symptoms like chlorosis, necrosis, and uneven growth—thus proving it unsuitable for heavenly horticulture.
Source => sciencedirect.com

9. The Sober Truth of Sauerkraut

Hold your laughter for a pickle: If you've ever longed for an alcohol-infused sauerkraut party, you'll be disappointed to learn that the fermented masterpiece contains such a minuscule amount of alcohol that consuming an entire jar would only rival the alcohol content found in one ripe banana.
Source => gutsyferments.com.au

10. Cabbage: The Vitamin C Booster

Move over, oranges: it's cabbage's time to squeeze into the spotlight! Despite being the less popular (and admittedly less fashionable) cousin of the citrus fruit, cabbage has been hiding a juicy secret: just one serving of cabbage juice can provide you with half of your daily intake of vitamin C, helping with the growth and repair of tissues—including your precious digestive tract!
Source => fischerinstitute.com

11. Cabbage Fashion Week

Ever heard of a "cabbage patch" having more variety than the runway at Fashion Week? Well, buckle up, veggie lovers: there are over 400 different types of cabbage, flaunting their fabulousness from the classic green to the exotic savoy and Napa varieties, ensuring every palate sashays away satisfied.
Source => ruralsprout.com