Chinese cabbage: provenance, origin and synonyms

Chinese cabbage has been cultivated for centuries. We inform you about the origin, provenance and history of this healthy vegetable.

The universally popular Chinese cabbage is a real all-rounder: from salads to fried rice or noodles from the Chinese restaurant to as Ingredient for a vegetable stew or simply as an accompaniment to fried or steamed vegetables - Chinese cabbage gives many a dish a delicate flavor Grade. However, this particular type of cabbage only found its way to Europe and America over the course of the last century. The origin of the cabbage lies (the name probably suggests it) in China. However, it has been cultivated in Japan and Korea for just as long. A Chinese cabbage specialty from Korea, for example, is the so-called kimchi, for which the cabbage is pickled. Excavations revealed that this special type of coal depositing was practiced more than 2000 years ago. It has not been proven to this day, but it is suspected that the Chinese cabbage we know is probably a cross between turnip and pak choi.

Chinese cabbage is becoming increasingly popular and the areas under cultivation are increasing

Nowadays Chinese cabbage is grown on a large scale in the USA and also in Germany. The Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Austria and Spain are also among the main growing areas. One reason for the boom in cultivation of this cabbage in the West is probably the growing popularity of Asian cuisine, which can hardly do without Chinese cabbage. The largest growing areas in Asia are in China, Korea and Taiwan. The crunchy Asian cabbage is also known as leaf cabbage, Beijing cabbage, Japanese cabbage and celery cabbage. Depending on where it comes from, the respective cabbage also has a slightly different taste: Japanese cabbage is even milder and more tender than its relative from China.

The Chinese cabbage grows and thrives very well in German gardens

The crisp and delicious Chinese cabbage can be easily grown in the home garden in this country. A nutrient-rich soil, an adequate water supply, a wind-protected location and some sun are all you need to achieve successful cultivation. In Germany, the major growing areas are in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.

Very popular due to its tender leaves and mild aroma

In contrast to most of the European cabbages known to us, Chinese cabbage has no stalk and its leaves are pleasantly tender with a mild cabbage aroma. This is what makes this Asian type of cabbage so popular for pickling and roasting. Due to its short cooking time, it is also ideal for Asian wok dishes.