Kohlrabi: Red Vienna
(Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes)
Kohlrabi is a short (45cm), biennial cruciferous crop (cabbage family) that is cultivated as an annual vegetable. The stems of each plant swell at the base to form a 5 - 10 cm in diameter edible, starchy globe. The broad edible leaves spiral in whorls around the globe-like swollen stem and are held up by thin petioles (leaf stems). It grows best in cool weather, or in the tropics at high elevations. The outer fibrous layers of the stem are removed and the inside may be eaten raw or cooked. Leaves may also be eaten as a cooked leafy vegetable.