Herb: Abyssinian Cabbage


Latin name: Brassica carinata


Family: Cruciferae



Edible parts of Abyssinian Cabbage:

Leaves and young stems - raw or cooked. Used when up to 30cm tall. A mild and pleasant cabbage flavour, the young growth can be cut finely and used in mixed salads, whilst older leaves are cooked like cabbage leaves. Immature flowering stems - cooked. Used like broccoli, they make a nice vegetable. An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Oil from the wild species is high in erucic acid, which is toxic, though there are some cultivars that contain very little erucic acid and can be used as food. The seed can also be crushed and used as a condiment.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

An occasional bird-sown alien on waste ground in Britain.

Propagation of Abyssinian Cabbage:

Seed - sow in situ in succession from March to early September. The seed can also be sown under cloches in February when it will yield a crop in May.

Cultivation of the herb:

An occasional bird-sown alien on waste ground in Britain.

Medicinal use of Abyssinian Cabbage:

None known

Known hazards of Brassica carinata:

The oil contained in the seed of this species is rich in erucic acid which is toxic. However, modern cultivars have been selected which are almost free of erucic acid.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.