Savoy Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. sabauda)

Savoy cabbage with tight head	Savoy cabbage with looser head structure

Source: Wolf-Garten

Distribution, Yield, Use:

• Distribution:
  Mainly grown in Western Europe, but also in small amounts in North and East Europe, in Western mediterranean areas, and in North America. Requires rich, damp soil.
• Yield:
  250 - 400 dt /ha
• Use:
  Foodstuff
  - boiled as vegetable
  - raw in salads 8 - 14% dry mass, 3% protein, 4% carbohydrate, 50 mg vitamin C/100 g

Region of origin: Region of cultivation:

• Cultivation and Breeding:
  Like white and red cabbage, Savoy cabbage is numbered among the head-cabbages. Forerunners of the Savoy cabbage, with wrinkled leaves which tightly surrounded the stem, were probably already used by the Romans. An origin in Italy is assumed. Its shape tends towards the leaf cabbage in that the blistered, wrinkled outer leaves spread apart and the head structure is somewhat looser. Thus, in addition to head-forming varieties, leaf Savoy cabbages are also known, with looser, salad-like heads.
• Breeding aims:
  The breeding aims essentially conform to those of the white and red cabbages. Most markets prefer a dark green Savoy cabbage. A firm and well covered head is mainly preferred for autumn and winter cabbage.

Text by Dr. Wolfgang Schuchert
Adapted to HTML by R.Saedler