kohlrabi

kohlrabi (kōlˈräˈbē) [key] [Ger. partly from Ital., = turnip cabbage], plant ( Brassica caulorapa, sometimes classified as var. caulorapa of the cabbage species) of the family Cruciferae (mustard family), with an edible, turniplike, swollen stem. It is a cool-weather plant grown more in Europe, where some varieties are used for fodder, than in America. The flavor is more delicate than that of some of the other cabbage plants. Kohlrabi is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Capparales, family Cruciferae.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.