The different varieties of Cabbage

Cabbage-Different Varieties

Cabbage is one of those unsung heroes in the kitchen.

Its a pretty bridesmaid that slipped out of the limelight.

Watch out ! It is making a comeback.

Cabbage : How to choose, store and prepare?

Fondly coined as the “Betty White of the produce aisle”.In colder months when fresh vegetables are hard to come by, this vegetable is one of the most affordable in the produce aisles .

It is part of the Brassica family, and is closely related to vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower. It is high in vitamins (especially Vitamins C and K) and vitamin B6, which is crucial for keeping our immune system up and running.

It is an excellent source of many essential minerals like manganese. It is also rich in antioxidants and is a great body cleanser( think spring detox!)

The different varieties :

There are a number of varieties including white, red, savoy and the Asian staple , Bok Choy

White Cabbage

White ones have firm, tightly-packed, solid heads of leaves. They are not actually white; the leaves are very pale green with patches of white around the veins. The outer leaves tend to be darker green then the ones inside which don’t get the direct sunlight. They mature late in the fall.

White/Green Cabbage

Best used in :


Green Cabbage

Best used in :

  • Raw
  • Stir fries
  • Soups
  • Braises
  • Rolls ( using their whole leaves)
  • Kootu/Dhal
  • Rice/Pilaf/Pulav
  • Manchurian
  • Curry/Sabzi

Purple Cabbage :

Red/Purple Cabbage

Best used in :


Napa Cabbage

Napa is probably the most well-known, as it’s also available in non-Asian supermarkets. It’s a large vegetable with white stalks and pale green leaves arranged cruciferously. It is oblong in shape. Napa kind has a mild taste and has a soft texture when cooked.

Napa Cabbage

Best used in :

  • Korean Kimchi
  • Asian soups
  • Stir- Fries
  • Eaten raw.

Savoy Cabbage

Savoy type is also known as curly kind. With ruffled, lacy, deeply ridged leaves, Savoy cabbages are perhaps the prettiest cabbages around. The leaves are more loosely layered and less tightly packed than green or red one, although its uses are similar. 

Savoy Cabbage

Best used in :

  • Soups
  • Stir-Fries

Bok Choy

Bok Choy

Best used in :


Choy Sum

It looks similar to bok choy, but it is longer and slimmer. The leaves are tender enough to eat in a salad while the stems are crisp and watery.

Choy Sum

Best used in :

  • Noodle soups
  • Stir- Fries
  • Salads with oranges ( Chinese influenced)
  • Vinaigrettes ( with Chinese Five spiced powder)

Cabbage Recipes on our site

Sharing below, links to my published posts on Cabbage and the recipes made using cabbage, for your interest :

The Bottom Line

Do you have a favorite cabbage recipe ?

Try our recipes today and give us your feedback on how it turned out for you. Be it deep frying or with your air fryer, it sure will keep you warm and happy.A perfect rainy day or cold weather snack!

If you find our post helpful and got to try any of our recipes, do share your feedback on the comments section below. We would love to hear from you.

Indian cooking is all about using the right spices in the right way. To make it easy for you ,we have our E-Book : A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Indian Spices, you can get it here.

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Cindy Moore
Cindy Moore
2 years ago

Thanks for all the info on the different cabbages. I used purple cabbage the most!

Ashley
Ashley
2 years ago

I didn’t realize bok choy was a cabbage! Your posts are always informative, and I’ve made some of the recipes. So tasty!

Barbara
2 years ago

How interesting. I realized I didn’t know the different varieties of cabbage!

Tiffany
2 years ago

I LOVE cabbage – I really had no idea there were so many way to prepare it! I just either have it steamed or for stuffed cabbage rolls! I need to try some of these!

Alexis Farmer
2 years ago

I love cabbage! Just made some homemade sauerkraut.

Sabrina DeWalt
2 years ago

My husband is a big fan of cabbage. He loves making sauerkraut and kimshi.

Marianne
Marianne
2 years ago

Cabbage is not something that agrees with me… but being half German, I love the occasional sauerkraut. Bok Choy I love, however, and we have often!

Emily
Emily
2 years ago

This was very informative!!! I have not cooked with all of these kinds

Kristin
2 years ago

This was informational as I really only knew of white cabbage and purple cabbage! I’m going to branch out to some of your other suggestions. Your pictures made them all look so yummy!