Vegetable Program
Ethnic Crops

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

Cabbage at terminal market in Fortaleza Brazil
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is a vegetable that is found throughout Latin America. In many countries, such as Honduras, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Brazil cabbage is often used in salads. A common salad in the Dominican Republic, and in other Latin American countries, is sliced cabbage with sliced tomato.

Cabbage is also used with other vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, and cauliflower to make encurtido (“pickled” in Spanish). Encurtido is served fresh or is more commonly canned for storage. Jars of encurtido can be found on many tables in restaurants to be used as a condiment.

In Brazil, cabbage is a staple in the Northeastern part of Brazil and is often used as a substitute for collards. It is also used in salads that with tomatoes, onions, and mayonnaise, all cut.

Cabbage for sale at a market in Honduras
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

Production
For information on production and management of cabbage, refer to the The New England Vegetable Management Guide and click on "Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Minor Cole Crops".

Cabbage for sale at a market in El Salvador
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

Curtido and Escabeche at a restaurant in El Salvador. These are often side dishes with papusas.
(Photo by Frank Mangan)

Seed Sources
Both green and red types of cabbage are grown and marketed in Honduras and Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, the most used variety is “Stonehead”, followed by “Golden Acre”. The market wants round, compact heads.

In Brazil, there are many heat tolerant varieties. These include "Louco de Verao", "Fuyutoyo", "Saiko", "Astrus" and "Saturn". Red cabbages are becoming more common, with varieties “Red Jewel" and "Red Dynasty".