Head cabbage stands up to frying, boiling or pickling

What do Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and won bok have in common? They’re all brassicas, a species of the cabbage family that is wide and varied in its specimens. The word cabbage is derived from the French word "caboche," which refers to head.

Head cabbage is that spherical, compact head of broad, flat, light green leaves. Like its cruciferous cousins, cabbage has disease-protective antioxidants and is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals and low in calories. Heads should be heavy for their size, with firmly packed, crisp leaves.

Raw or cooked, head cabbage is a vegetable that’s quite versatile.

Slice it thin to make coleslaw or include it in a salad for crunch. Thinly sliced cabbage stir-fried with thinly sliced pork or beef, seasoned with just salt, is a good combination. Slice cabbage and cook it with kalua pork, a local favorite. Parboil whole leaves and use it as a wrapper for meat mixtures, then braise.

Sauerkraut and kim chee are good ways to pickle and preserve this vegetable. Head cabbage is an easy and nutritious addition to soups and stews. Just remember that long cooking produces those unpleasant odors we associate with cabbage; cook it briefly for best flavor and more nutrition.

Quite a bit of head cabbage is grown in Kunia and in Wai­mea on Hawaii island. Be sure to ask for Hawaii-grown cabbage — it will be sweeter, fresher and better for you.

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Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.