Cabbages rarely get much respect, so often overshadowed by the more delicate and refined lettuce family. When treated with love, however, cabbages can offer a bit of crisp, sharp respite in a salad or melt into a tender stew, the epitome of comfort food on a cold night. Hodekål is especially cheap and abundant right now; I passed by a sign at a local Rimi practically giving them away for 1.90 NOK each! Cabbages are packed with vitamins and minerals. They are a great source of fiber and Vitamin C and also contain significant amounts of Vitamin B, calcium, and folate, which is an especially critical nutrient for pregnant women.
If you are daunted by the varieties of cabbages in the markets here and have a hard time keeping the Norwegian names straight, here’s a little crash course:
hodekål—This is the typical pale green, slightly tough cabbage, good for shredding into cole slaws or steaming and stuffing the leaves to make cabbage rolls.
rødkål—the purplish-red cabbage. Again, good for slaws and delicious sautéed with apples and bacon.
kinakål—literally ’Chinese cabbage.’ This light green cabbage with lots of small veins running through it is more leafy and soft than the other two and so perhaps more versatile. Delicious cut up and quickly stir fried or steamed with Asian flavors.
savoykål—When I lived in England, someone once described the savoy to me as the ‘King of Cabbages.’ It has a mild flavor, darker green color, and is more pliant, similar to Chinese cabbage. Delicious enough to sautee with oil or butter and some green herbs and garlic. You can also steam it, chop it, and mix it with mashed potatoes to make the Irish side dish colcannon.
N.b.—There are a few items in Norwegian supermarkets with names that end in –kål that are not exactly what we think of as cabbages, including blomkål (cauliflower), grønnkål (kale), and rosenkål (Brussels sprouts).
I’ve opted to go the crunchy and refreshing route here and will share a fast and easy recipe for a southeast Asian-style two-cabbage salad/slaw.
Sesame and Ginger Cole Slaw
adapted from the ever-inventive ‘Closet Cooking’ blog
Ingredients:
2 cups cabbage (shredded or diced thinly)—I used a cup each of hodekål and kinakål
1 carrot (shredded)
2 green onions or shallots or one small red onion (diced)
1 handful cilantro (chopped—optional, as I know it can be hard to come by here)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
½ long red chili (minced, deseeded; optional)
Directions:
1. Mix the cabbage, carrot, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl.
2. Mix the vinegar, lime juice, oil, sesame oil, honey, ginger and chili in a small bowl.
3. Toss the salad in the dressing and serve.
Related Articles
About Kate Stricklan
Kate arrived in Stavanger in May 2011 with her husband after a two-year stint in Egypt. Having moved around a lot in the past decade, she has worn many hats, including Latin Teacher, Petroleum Technician, and Refugee Advocate. Kate enjoys literature, biking, and dessert. She is excited to get involved in Norway's seasonal sports, especially cross-country skiing. Kate is keeping a blog about life and cooking in Norway called 'Starts with a Step.'
- Web |
- More Posts (9)
