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

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

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

Kohlrabi is generally available June through September, throughout prime farmers' market seasons.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2022

Kohlrabi can range in color from white to green to purple and are generally the size of a baseball.

From Salon • Aug. 12, 2022

Kohlrabi and celery root are julienned to look like fine pasta, then tossed in a vinaigrette that’s bright with lemon and breezy with mint.

From Washington Post • Mar. 22, 2019

Kohlrabi is a cousin to broccoli and cauliflower and is high in fiber and potassium.

From Time • Nov. 23, 2015

The Kohlrabi Court was silent, waiting for their king to wake.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova