Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi (from it. "kohl" - "cabbage" and "rübe" – "turnip") is a botanical kind of a white cabbage.

Kohlrabi – quite unusual vegetable which, in fact, represents a stem-crop in the form of a sphere above the ground. Its edible part – a stalk – gentle and juicy on taste, reminding taste of a cabbage stump of a usual white cabbage, only without bitterness.

The first references of a kohlrabi which was born in Northern Europe fall on 1554, and already a century later it becomes popular in all Europe, especially in China, India and other Asian countries.

The kohlrabi – an unpretentious plant, has high resistance to wreckers and diseases therefore it is successfully cultivated also in northern areas. Besides, this cabbage well gets on with other vegetable cultures on a kitchen garden. However and simplicity of cultivation did not make this vegetable widespread in our country, only fans cultivate it on the sites though numerous positive properties of a kohlrabi are known.

Properties of a kohlrabi

The kohlrabi is rich with vitamin A, B and B2, RR, mineral salts, and also phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, selenny, cobalt, iron, potassium and many other vitamins.

As a part of cabbage a large number contains phytalbumins, cellulose and enzymes. As a part of pulp of vegetable there is a glucose, fructose, connections are gray.

The kohlrabi – a low-calorie product, contains in 100 grams of cabbage only 41,7 kcal.

One more name of a kohlrabi – "a northern lemon", it received it for high content of vitamin C.

Use of a kohlrabi

Certainly, most of all useful substances contain stem-crops and leaves of vegetable in the raw therefore, thanks to juiciness, pleasant and soft taste of cabbage, from it cook tasty salads. Soy sauce or lime juice will help to emphasize taste of fresh cabbage.

However also the cabbage which underwent heat treatment therefore use it also in a boiled and stewed look, as well as a usual white cabbage is useful. It is possible to make fritters, ragout, vegetable soup, it is also possible to stuff a kohlrabi, having removed pulp from a core and having enclosed any meat or vegetables stuffing there. Also cabbage can be baked, given boiled with cheese sauce, to fry in crackers and even to pickle.

Chicken, fish, shrimps, cucumbers, carrots and peanut are perfectly combined with taste of a kohlrabi.

Advantage of a kohlrabi

Not only soft tastes caused use of cabbage in food, but also advantage of a kohlrabi. Its regular use exerts beneficial influence on work of a gall bladder, digestive tract and a liver, promotes stabilization of a metabolism and reduction of risk of development of infectious diseases.

Thanks to diuretic property of a kohlrabi promotes removal of excess liquid from an organism therefore it is recommended to include this vegetable in a diet of hypertensive persons.

Modern medical researches proved advantage of a kohlrabi as prevention of cancer diseases of a direct and large intestine, and it is caused by sulfur-containing substances as a part of vegetable.

One more important property of a kohlrabi is the clearing impact on a human body, it protects walls of vessels from sedimentation of "bad" cholesterol. Recommend to use cabbage for prevention of atherosclerosis, strengthening of a cardiac muscle, normalization of arterial pressure.

But also on it the advantage of a kohlrabi does not come to an end. Due to the small caloric content and ability to purgation from toxins and slags, cabbage is advised to include in the menu to the people having obesity, or that who adheres to a dietary food allowance.

Curative properties of a kohlrabi with success use also in nonconventional medicine, for example, from a tops of vegetable and a stem-crop of cabbage apply broth at treatment of asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis. Fresh juice facilitates cough, helps at diseases of a spleen and kidneys, at anemia, removes inflammations of an oral cavity.

All useful properties of a kohlrabi listed, undoubtedly, do it by an important component of the menu for people who try to adhere to the healthy healthy nutrition, including the advantage of a kohlrabi is obvious to children and pregnant women.

Harm of a kohlrabi

There are no powerful contraindications to the use of a kohlrabi, however do not recommend it to include in a diet to people with a stomach hyperoxemia. Some cases of intolerance of the product are known, however it meets extremely seldom.