Cabbage Varieties Offer Diverse Flavors and Uses

From green to red to savoy, the humble cabbage comes in many forms with distinct textures and tastes.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:20am

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Cabbage is an affordable, versatile, and nutritious vegetable that is having a moment. There are many different varieties of cabbage, each with its own unique flavor, texture, and culinary uses. This guide explores some of the most popular types of cabbage, including tendersweet (green), caraflex, savoy, red, red dragon, and saku saku, and provides tips on how to best enjoy them.

Why it matters

Cabbage is a nutritious and affordable vegetable that can be enjoyed year-round. Understanding the different varieties and their distinct characteristics allows home cooks to better utilize cabbage in a wide range of dishes, from raw salads to cooked meals. As cabbage grows in popularity, exploring the diversity of this humble vegetable can lead to more creative and delicious ways to incorporate it into one's diet.

The details

Tendersweet (green) cabbage is the classic round, light green variety with a mild, crunchy flavor. Caraflex cabbage has a cone shape and is especially sweet. Savoy cabbage has rigid, flower-like leaves and a milder taste, making it good for dishes like stuffed cabbage. Red cabbage is more vibrant in color and holds up well to cooking, while also being great for raw preparations. Red dragon cabbage is a hybrid of red cabbage and napa cabbage, with a beautiful maroon hue. Saku saku is a flat Japanese variety prized for its flavor.

  • Cabbage is a year-round crop that can be enjoyed throughout the seasons.

The players

Diane Aboushi Saleh

Runs Halal Pastures Farm in New York and is a proponent of cabbage's versatility and nutritional value.

Susan Choung

GH recipe editor who appreciates the unique qualities of caraflex cabbage.

Tina Martinez

GH food producer who highlights red cabbage's versatility and flavor.

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What they’re saying

“Cabbage is the diamond of season. It's a crop that has kept generations alive, feeds a family, sustains people, and it's enjoyable!”

— Diane Aboushi Saleh, Farm Owner

“I remember seeing the Caraflex variety at my local farmers market and thinking, wow, that's a really chic-looking cabbage—a sentence that's probably never been uttered before.”

— Susan Choung, GH Recipe Editor

“Red cabbage is a fantastic variety because it's so hearty and versatile. Its firm texture holds up really well in cooking, making it great for stir-fries, but it's just as good fresh where its crisp bite and beautiful color brighten up salads.”

— Tina Martinez, GH Food Producer

The takeaway

Cabbage is a nutritious, affordable, and versatile vegetable that comes in a wide variety of types, each with its own unique flavor, texture, and culinary uses. Exploring the diversity of cabbage can lead to more creative and delicious ways to incorporate this humble vegetable into one's diet.