TASTES LIKE MORE

What's the vegetable of the year? It’s affordable, it’s green, and Food24 editor Tessa Purdon says she'll be eating a lot of it in 2019

Justsaying the word “cabbage” can make a person’s spine tingle. Dismal associations come flooding in. That dreaded cabbage soup diet of the 80s, the pungent smell of a boarding school dining hall, even the whiff of a really bad… No, cabbage isn’t altogether sexy, but it’s about to be, trust me!

It’s no real surprise that food trends

(or movements) are often driven by what’s happening in the greater zeitgeist. Think of issues surrounding climate change, food insecurity, social constructs and new methods of agriculture. Not to mention the massive shift toward plant-based eating.

In a nutshell, what are we all after? Food that’s affordable but also nutritious. Cabbage is both of these things, as well as being one of the few vegetables that are salt tolerant. I discovered this at the S/Zout experiential waterless dinner presented by Studio. H in Cape Town last year – an event that showcased the future of food if sea water were to be used for agriculture. So while you might normally give cabbage a wide berth in the shops, you really need to embrace it because it’s about to be something we’re going to be cooking with – a lot.

Many of the world’s cultures already cook extensively with this cruciferous veggie and have for centuries – think of Polish golumpki (boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around a meat filling with onions and rice) or Korean kimchi, which has had a lot of time in the spotlight lately thanks to the fermented food trend. And we can’t talk about cabbage without including that British classic, bubble and squeak.

So why has it taken some of us so long to embrace that funny ball of leaves – frumpiness and all? Could it be that home cooks just don’t know what to do with it? Much like kale before it became Insta-famous. And although cabbage hasn’t gone mainstream (yet) as cauliflower has, there are countless South Africans who’ve been making magic with it in the kitchen for years, as Hope Malau points out in his cookbook, Johanne 14. “A head of cabbage can be cooked in so many different ways; it is inexpensive and goes with anything or nothing at all. You can eat it raw, boil it or fry it, combine it with any other vegetable and it will give you a wholesome meal every time.”

René Redzepi of Noma fame told the Bon Appetit team in a podcast interview last year that he believes cabbage is the most underrated vegetable, and when the celebrated chef of a former world number one restaurant gives it that much credit – it’s time to sit up and listen.

Much like the move towards using cheaper cuts of meat, local chefs are now giving humble, everyday vegetables pride of place on their menus. They’re showcasing their versatility and deliciousness with sophisticated presentations and punchy flavours, or treating them to techniques including braising, charring, pickling and fermenting.

“Kimchi makes the world a better place,” says Glen Williams, head chef at Foxcroft restaurant in Cape Town, while Ivor Jones of Chefs Warehouse Beau Constantia says he likes to make sauerkraut and fry it with chilli, mustard seeds and curry leaves. “It’s super spicy and sour and so good,” he emphasises.

One of my favourite quick and fuss-free ways to eat cabbage in summer is to finely slice a Woolies baby cabbage, dress it with a zingy tahini vinaigrette, then sprinkle over some crispy bacon bits. That’s it! Simple, but so satisfying.

Most supermarkets stock standard white and red cabbage. But take a walk through your local fresh produce market on a Saturday and you’ll find more of the exotic varieties. The colours are a beautiful burst of bright greens and purples that allow your imagination to run wild with edible possibilities. Watch out world, cabbage is the new it-girl among veggies and she’s gaining appeal.

“Why has it taken some of us so long to embrace that funny ball of leaves – frumpiness and all?”