Cabbage

Cabbage provides texture and a peppery bite whether raw or cooked.

Flavor

How to use it

The Crunch Challenge. A dip in ice water boosts cabbage's crunch by increasing turgor pressure, great for salads.

Heat and Sweet. Cooking breaks down cellulose and lignin, releasing sugars and cutting bitterness.

Common mistakes

• Using aged cabbage releases hydrogen sulfide, which tastes like sulfur.
• Overcooked cabbage gets mushy from cell wall rupture and smells strongly.

What goes with cabbage

• Vinegar. Vinegar tenderizes cabbage while adding a sharp counterbalance.
• Pork Shoulder. Cabbage takes up pork's rich drippings in a classic pairing.
• Salt. Salt draws water from cabbage and favors the lactic bacteria that ferment it into sauerkraut.
• Garlic. Garlic's pungency cuts through cabbage's earthy baseline.
• Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise's fat and acid coat cabbage and soften it in slaw.
• Onion. Onion's sweetness melts into cabbage as both slowly soften in a pan.
• Pork Belly. Rich pork belly fat balances cabbage's sulfur and sweetness.
• Rice Vinegar. Rice vinegar's mild acid brightens cabbage in quick pickles and slaws.

Try tonight

• Toss into coleslaw with carrots and creamy dressing.
• Stir-fry with soy sauce and ginger quickly.
• Cook with potatoes in a filling soup.

Storage

Store fresh cabbage in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, for up to two weeks.