kohlrabi

American  

[kohl-rah-bee, -rab-ee, kohl-rah-bee, -rab-ee] / koʊlˈrɑ bi, -ˈræb i, ˈkoʊlˌrɑ bi, -ˌræb i /

noun

• kohlrabies
  plural

1. a cultivated cabbage, Brassica oleracea gongylodes, of the mustard family, whose stem above ground swells into an edible, bulblike formation.

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kohlrabi British  

/ kəʊlˈrɑːbɪ /

noun

1. Also called: turnip cabbage. a cultivated variety of cabbage, Brassica oleracea caulorapa (or gongylodes ), whose thickened stem is eaten as a vegetable

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• kohlrabies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of kohlrabi

First recorded in 1800–10; from German, from Italian cavolrape (plural of cavolrapa literally, “stalk or cabbage turnip”), with German Kohl “cabbage” for Italian cavol-; see cole, rape ²

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Explanation

Kohlrabi is a vegetable that looks like a turnip but is actually a type of cabbage. You can eat kohlrabi raw in salads and slaws, or you can cook it. Kohlrabi gets its name from the German words for "cabbage" and "turnip," Kohl and Rübe, and that's just what this strange vegetable is, a kind of cabbage-turnip. Sliced and eaten raw, kohlrabi tastes a bit like a slightly spicy radish, but if you roast it in the oven, it takes on a sweet flavor. Kohlrabi is especially popular in Kashmir, India, where it's called ganth ghobi or munj.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kohlrabi

Over in the 6th at Stand, Hungary’s only Michelin 2-star restaurant, executive chef Tamás Széll, in business here since 2018, sets his pickling sites on elderflowers, served with baked kohlrabi, razor clams and green apple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Cabbage has long been forgotten among its cruciferous counterparts — broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi.

From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2026

I might never have fallen in love with kohlrabi had I not joined a CSA.

From Seattle Times ● May 28, 2024

The meal itself will kick off with crab cakes along with cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel and cucumber slaw.

From Reuters ● Apr. 24, 2023

The kohlrabi crown around his head moved like the petals pressed into his arms.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

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