Sugarcone cabbage a sweet, fresh take on one of the world's oldest vegetables

"The sulfur in the leaves that gives the humble, cruciferous veggie its characteristic pungent taste breaks down during cooking, releasing a strong, rotten egg-like smell that spreads and lingers. It's especially odorous when boiled. Large heads of cabbage also can crowd out other vegetables in your refrigerator crisper, and, thanks to its high water content, can spoil in just a few days if improperly stored. That puts the vegetable on the bottom of the grocery list for some home cooks, despite its wide availability, versatility,"

"Cabbage - which belongs to the plant family of brassicas - has fed people through both good times and bad since antiquity. One of the world's oldest vegetables, the leafy green is thought to have been cultivated in the Mediterranean around 4,000 years ago. The Romans brought it north to England when Julius Caesar invaded in 55 B.C., and by the Middle Ages, it was a popular food for peasants since it was easy to grow."

Cabbage contains sulfur compounds that break down during cooking and produce a strong, rotten egg-like odor, especially when boiled. Large cabbage heads can crowd refrigerator crispers and spoil quickly because of high water content. Cabbage remains inexpensive and nutritious, often costing less than $1 a pound. A new cultivar called Sugarcone from Row 7 Seed Co. has debuted at Whole Foods and aims to boost the vegetable's appeal. Cabbage has a long cultivation history, originating in the Mediterranean about 4,000 years ago, spreading through Europe, and becoming a staple in early American gardens and kitchens. The vegetable is crunchy raw and tender and sweet when roasted, and it is used in salads, stir-fries, soups, casseroles, braises, and stuffed dishes.

Read at Boston Herald