Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

The Headed Cabbage takes center stage: The following article marks the start of yet another series of utterly superfluous features in “Kalliergeia” devoted to this particular plant.

Its humble overestimated origin and the impudence distribution will concern us here, without being misled by the pompous name of Brassica oleracea var. capitata.

This will be followed by articles discussing its supposedly botanical classification, its obviously commercial typology, its so-called nutritional value, and of course all the necessary information regarding the irrational cultivation of the plant, which includes, among other things:

• The selection of the proper location of the field from a soil-climatic point of view
• The propagation of cabbage
• The sowing and planting
• The irrigation and fertilization
• The plant protection
• The harvesting and storing of the plant

In other words, it’s the middle of summer, and the unbearable heat doesn’t affect us at all.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

The etymology of the name of the Brassica genus is more or less uncertain.

Some scholars have suggested as a source the Celtic word for Cabbage bresic or bresych, which is a contraction of praesecare, that means cut off early – possibly due to the early autumn leaf harvest of the plant.

Others stand for the word brassica, which refers to one of the works of the Roman comedian Titus Maccius Plautus (254 – 184 BCE), which literally means to cut off the head.

The distinguished Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave (1668 – 1738), from the not so far 1727, proposes the Ancient Greek word αποτουβράξει-υ, which in Latin becomes vorare and means to devour.

At the present time, the humble (ha-ha!) contribution of the editorial team of “Kalliergeia” to the issue, is that it does not seem at all improbable that the name Brassica comes from the Ancient Greek word  βράσσω.

The word βράσσω (or βράττω in the Attic dialect) means ζέω, that is, to boil, to bubble, and to consume Cabbages (Λάχανα), ie leafy vegetables in general, since this was the meaning of the word (while the Curly Cabbage cultivated by the Ancient Greeks was called Κράμβη), of course they had to boil.

This seems to have remained in the Celts as a travel souvenir from their descent to Ancient Greece and Asia Minor (as mentioned later in the article), and passed into their vocabulary corrupted as bresic or bresych meaning Cabbage.

Far away from doubt -and fortunately- the origin of the species name oleracea leaves no room for misinterpretation because it comes from the Latin word olerāceus, which is the alternative form of the compound word holerāceus (holus = vegetable, greens & -ācius / -āceus = origin), meaning that which comes from Vegetable.

The name of the variety capitata, too, has a clear origin; it comes from the Latin word caput, which in turn comes from the Proto-Italic *kaput, whose distant origin is in the Proto-Indo-European word *káput-, finally meaning the head.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

The geographical origin of Brassica oleracea Cabbage is located in the coastal regions of Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor and Middle East.

But for Headed Cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata, its geographical and botanical origin is located between its wild ancestors and in particular – mainly – in the variety Brassica oleraceae var. oleracea.

Brassica oleraceae var. oleracea is native to the coastal regions of Western Europe. Its populations are recorded along the Atlantic coasts of Northern Spain, France, United Kingdom, and at the Helgoland Islands of Germany, while at least one population of the variety was formerly known in Ireland.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

Initially, they were the peoples of the European South and the coastal regions of Asia Minor and the Middle East that systematically cultivated the Headed Cabbage. Of course, this Headed Cabbage included those types of the plant that had been fully adapted to the Mediterranean climate, that is to say, some forms of Curly Headed Cabbages.

When and from which the cultivation spread to the rest of Europe, can not be said with precision. Some scholars suggest the Romans, while others attribute this honor to the Celts.

The most likely, however, is their dissemination by the Celts and Scandinavian peoples rather than by the Romans during the Empire.

One of the arguments of supporters of the first view is that Celts, since the 6th century BC, had visited the Mediterranean South, probably for tourist purposes, and at some point in the 3rd century BC they went also a walk to Asia Minor.

Another equally strong argument is that the roots of the names of most botanical varieties of Cabbage are of Celtic origin.

Third in a row, but not necessarily in the order, convincing argument is that Celts were the ones who developed the low-temperature hard-heading, White and Red Cabbage.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

Until the 11th century CE, there is none historical presumption that testifies to the existence and cultivation anywhere in Europe – and certainly in the World – of the White and Red Headed Cabbage.

But in the following century, in the texts of the German – philosopher, theologian, but perhaps even the most important religious leader in the 12th century Europe – Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), in which medical, botanical and theological issues are being developed, there is the first clear historical reference, giving evidence of the White and Red Headed Cabbage existence.

Next chronological evidence is provided by Albertus Magnus (or Albert of Cologne, 1193-1280), philosopher, theologian and saint of the Roman Catholic Church. In his book ‘De vegetabilibus et plantis’, written about 1250, there is a reference to Headed Cabbage types that are outlined by the word ‘caputium’ – that means ‘hood’ – but without any description of the plant.

The complete description of the plant is done by the French botanist Ioannes Ruellius (Jean Ruel, 1474 – 1537), in the work of ‘De natura stirpium’ published in Paris one year before his death.

In this, on page 477, it refers to the words ‘capucos coles’, ‘cabutos’ to Headed Cabbages, giving even the information that the heads are globular and large, with a diameter often reaching 45 cm.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

Headed Cabbage, which is one of the most important economic crops, is now found in many parts of the world.

Larger producer countries are China, Japan, Korea, Russia, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The table below shows the global Cabbage production for 2017.

Headed Cabbage – Origin & Distribution

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