Cabbage is a leafy vegetable with thick, compact leaves that form a round head, often eaten raw in salads or cooked in many dishes. It comes in green, red, and other varieties.
From Old French 'caboche' meaning 'head,' originally used for both heads and certain vegetables. The word came into English in the Middle Ages with French influence on cooking terms. The idea of a tight, round 'head' of leaves matched the human-head metaphor.
Calling someone a 'cabbage' in some dialects means they’re slow or dull—literally comparing a person to a head of vegetables. Cabbage has fed people through wars and famines because it stores well and grows in cool climates. Kimchi, sauerkraut, and coleslaw are all different cultural love letters to the same plant.
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