napa cabbage
Americannoun
-
a type of Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa pekinensis, with broad, ruffled, light green leaves that form a cylindrical, compact head, originating in the vicinity of Beijing and now widely cultivated in Europe, North America, and Australia.
-
the leaves and stalks of this plant eaten as a raw or cooked vegetable, especially in East Asian cuisine.
Etymology
Origin of napa cabbage
First recorded in 1935–40; from Japanese dialect nappa “greens, salad greens,” equivalent to na “green” + -pa, combining form of ha “leaf”
Compare meaning
How does napa-cabbage compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Closely related to turnips and napa cabbage, this mustard green is known for its use in Japanese cuisine.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2023
Bodegas stock Asian vegetables, including bok choy, taro root and napa cabbage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2022
All bowls come with a beef ball, Spam, a stick of imitation crab, a chunk of corn on the cob, bean curd, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage and napa cabbage.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 27, 2021
Ssam, in Korean, means “wrap,” usually involving salted napa cabbage, especially the tender inner leaves; feathery perilla; or fresh, crisp red leaf lettuce.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 28, 2020
My batch of napa cabbage sauerkraut took a good four weeks to reach a satisfying cure, but I considered the effort, my first, to be a success: Easy Fermenter, $33.99, nourishedessentials.com.
From New York Times ● Sep. 18, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
