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Kohlrabi is not a root vegetable, but a bulbous member of the cabbage family with a swollen stem near the ground. It tastes like broccoli or Brussels sprouts and can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s seasonal and best found at farmers markets or locally owned produce stores.
When a Root Vegetable Isn’t a Root VegetableWhen it’s a small, bulbous member of the cabbage family called kohlrabi, that’s when. For all intents and purposes, kohlrabi appears to be a root vegetable in the same company as turnips, radishes, and rutabagas. However, the bulbous shape is caused by a swelling of the plant stem near the ground. In that sense, it’s more of a very tight version of its cousin, kale. In fact, the name comes from two German words: kohl meaning cabbage and rabi meaning turnip. It’s not uncommon to hear the term “kohlrabi” used to describe this vegetable.
Despite its connections to cabbage and turnips, steamed or boiled kohlrabi is said to taste more like broccoli or Brussels sprouts. In fact, it belongs to the same general category, the Brassica oleracea Gongylodes group, as it resembles broccoli in flavor. It can also be used in place of cabbage in many favorite sausage and cabbage dishes in German cooking.
A raw kohlrabi can also be eaten like an apple, although it contains much less sugar. Some feel that the taste is acquired, but many people who grew up in largely German communities in the Midwest grew up eating kohlrabi whenever it was in season. One Illinois city even has annual festivals in honor of the vegetable, but that enthusiasm has died down a bit in recent years.
There are a few things to consider when buying kohlrabi. It’s not always available in the produce section of many grocery stores. The vegetable is very seasonal, and low consumer demand often keeps it off the long-distance delivery truck. The best kohlrabi can usually be found at farmers markets or locally owned produce stores.
Ideally, a kohlrabi bulb should be the size of an apple or smaller, about 3 inches (7.62 cm) in diameter. Anything larger may have noticeably less flavor or woody sections. Kohlrabi may look like a root vegetable, but should be viewed separately from true root vegetables like turnips or rutabagas. The plants have a distinctive leafy stalk that protrudes from the top of the swollen stem. This stem is usually removed before cutting the actual bulb for steaming or boiling in salt water.
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