# Cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflowers and broccoli



## Youngfun

How are these vegetable grouped in your language? Are some of them considered varieties of the same vegetable?

Italian:

Cabbage: *cavolo* / *cavolo cappuccio *(lit. hood cabbage)Chinese cabbage
>Napa cabbage: *cavolo cinese *(lit. Chinese cabbage)
>Bok choi: *bieta cinese *(lit. Chinese chard)
Cauliflowers: *cavolo* / *cavolfiore *(lit. cavolo + fiore = "cabbage + flower" - cognate with English cauliflower)
Broccoli: *broccoli* 

Both cabbage and cauliflowers are _cavolo_. To distinguish them, cabbage is _cavolo cappuccio_, while cauliflowers is _cavolfiore_.
While Italians are not familiar with Chinese cabbages, those are the Italian names used in the market of the Chinatown of Rome.

Mandarin Chinese (Northern usage):

Cabbage: *卷心菜 juǎn xīn cài* (lit. rolling-heart vegetable), *圆白菜 yuán bái cài* (lit. round "white vegetale", see below), *洋白菜 yáng bái cài* (lit. Western "white vegetale"), *包菜 bāo cài* (lit. wrapped vegetable), *包心菜 bāo xīn cài* (lit. wrapping-heart vegetable), *甘蓝 gān lán* (lit. sweet blue . But scientifically, it means _brassica oleracea_)
Chinese cabbage: *白菜 bǎi cài* (lit. white vegetable)
>Napa cabbage: *大白菜*_* dà bái cài *_(lit. big white vegetable) - but often called simply *白菜*
>Bok choi: *小白菜 **xiǎo bái cài *(image, lit. small white vegetable) ||* 油菜 yóu cài *(image, lit. oil vegetable) - they are called the same in English, though I consider them different vegetables.
Cauliflowers: *菜花 cài huā *(lit. vegetable flower)
Broccoli: *西兰花* _/_ *西蓝花 xī lán huā *(lit. Western blue flower)

It makes sense that if in the West _white vegetables_ are called "Chinese cabbage", then cabbages are called "Western _white vegetable_" in China. 
So cabbages and Chinese cabbages are grouped together.
If using a different word, then cabbages are grouped with broccoli (considered Western and flowered kind of cabbages).
Napa cabbage and bok choi are grouped together. But while napa cabbage can be called simply "white vegetable", for the bok choi you have to specify "small white vegetable". Since "bok choi" comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of 白菜 this can be considered a false friend.
This is the usage in Northern China. Not sure about other regions.

Cantonese:
Cabbage: *椰菜* (lit. coconut vegetable ?)
Chinese cabbage: *白菜 *(lit. white vegetable) (?)
>Napa cabbage: *大白菜*(lit. big white vegetable), *黃芽白 *(yellow sprout - white ?), *紹菜* (Shaoxing vegetable ?)
>Bok choi: *白菜 *(lit. white vegetable) (?)
Cauliflowers: *花椰菜*(lit. flowered coconut vegetable)
Broccoli: *花椰菜*(same as cauliflowers)

Here I'm not sure. If someone knows the proper Cantonese words, please correct me.
Cauliflowers and broccoli are the same thing. They are distinguished only by color. They are also grouped together with cabbage, considered "cabbage with flower", same as Italian.
For the Chinese cabbage, if one says simply "white vegetable" (without specifying big or small) he's referring to the small one (bok choi, from which the English word comes), contrary to the rest of China.

Southern Wu - Wenzhounese (W) & Qingtianese (Q)
Cabbage: *球菜 *W: /dʑaʊ tsʰe/ Q: /tɕɨʉ tsʰe/ (lit. ball vegetable)
Chinese cabbage: *白菜 *W: /ba tsʰe/ Q: /be tsʰe/ (lit. white vegetable)
>Napa cabbage: *大白菜*W: /da ba tsʰe/ Q: /da be tsʰe/ (lit. big white vegetable)  - but often called simply *白菜
*>Bok choi: *小白菜 *W: /ɕiə ba tsʰe/ Q: /ɕiœ be tsʰe/ (lit. small white vegetable) || *油冬菜 *W: /ʝaʊ toŋ tsʰe/ Q: /ʝɨʉ ɗoŋ tsʰe/(lit. oil winter vegetable), *香菇菜 *W & Q:/ɕi ku tsʰe/ (lit. mushroom vegetable - they are often cooked together with mushrooms)
Cauliflowers: *花菜 *W: /fu tsʰe/ Q: /hu tsʰe/(lit. flowered vegetable)
Broccoli: *花菜*(same as cauliflowers), to be more specific: *绿花菜 *W: /lo fu tsʰe/ Q: /liœʔ hu tsʰe/ (lit. green cauliflowers)

Maybe because this is my native language, I find it the most logic way of grouping: cabbage with Chinese cabbage, cauliflowers with broccoli*.
As Mandarin, 白菜 alone means napa cabbage, not bok choi.
小白菜 is the same as Mandarin, while 油冬菜 and 香菇菜 are the synonyms for the Mandarin 油菜.

*I know that scientifically they are all _Brassica_, but actually I don't perceive any similarity between cabbages and cauliflowers. And aren't cauliflowers and broccoli different only in color?


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## apmoy70

Hi Youngfun,

In Greek:

Cabbage: *«Λάχανο»* ['laxano] (neut.) < Classical neut. noun *«λάχανον» lắkʰanŏn* found mostly in plural form as *«λάχανα» lắkʰană* --> _vegetables_ (in Modern Greek we still call vegetable/-bles *«λαχανικό»* [laxani'ko] (neut. nom. sing.), *«λαχανικά»* [laxani'ka] (neut. nom. pl.) < v. *«λαχαίνω» lăkʰǽnō* --> _to dig_ (with obscure etymology).
Chinese cabbage: *«Κινέζικο λάχανο»* [ci'neziko 'laxano] (neut.), a verbatim translation. 
>Napa cabbage: *«Λάχανο νάπα»* ['laxano 'napa].
>Bok choi: *«Μποκ τσόϊ»* or *«Μποκ τσόϋ»* [bok 't͡so.i] (both spellings are common).
Cauliflower: *«Κουνουπίδι»* [kunu'piði] (neut.) < Byz. Greek *«κανωπίδιον»* kanopíðion, neuter diminutive of the Koine neuter noun *«κάνωπον» kắnōpŏn* --> _cauliflower_ (with obsure etymology).
Broccoli: *«Μπρόκολο»* ['brokolo] (neut.) < Italian loan word _broccolo_.


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## xmarabout

Hi,

In French:
Cabbage: *Chou *It is the generic term for species (_Brassica oleracea)_
Chinese cabbage
>Napa cabbage: *chou chinois *(lit. Chinese cabbage)
>Bok choi: *bok choi *(but also from the same sub-species: navet)
Cauliflowers: *chou-fleur*(lit. "cabbage + flower")
Broccoli: *broccoli*

But, of course, there are a lot of other species of cabbages:
chou de Bruxelles (of course originally from Belgium)
chou rouge
chou blanc
choupin
chou pointu
chou frisé
chou pommé also called chou cabus
chou-rave
chou romanesco
...


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## Youngfun

Thanks, apmoy and xmarabout.

So French is like Italian, grouping cabbage, Napa cabbage and cauliflower together.
Wikipedia says that napa cabbage are called Pei-tsaï. Is that a common word?

My favorite broccoli is chou romanesco. It's a coincidence that I grew up in Rome.


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## AutumnOwl

_*Swedish:*_
_Kål_ - cabbage
_Vitkål _- white cabbage (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. alba_)
_Rödkål_ - red cabbage (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. rubra_)
_Savoykål_ - Savoy cabbage (_Brassica oleracea var. sabauda)_
_Spetskål_ - pointy cabbage _(Brassica oleracea var. capitata conica)_
_Grönkål_ - green cabbage (_Brassica oleracea var. sabellica/acephala_)
_Purpurkål_ - purple cabbage (_Brassica oleracea var. acephala) a red variant of the green cabbage_
_Palmkål or svartkål_ - palm or black cabbage Nero di Toscana _(Brassica oleracea var. acephala)_

_Blomkål _- flower cabbage (cauliflower) (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _botrytis_)
_Broccoli_ - broccoli (_Brassica oleracea_, var. _cymosa_) (an old Swedish name was _sparriskål _- asparagus cabbage)
_Broccolo or romanesco_ - romanesco cabbage (_Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

Brysselkål_ - Brussels sprouts (_Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera_) (an older name is rosenkål - rose cabbage)

Kålrabbi - kohlrabi (_Brassica oleracea var. Gongylodes)

Kålrot -_ rutabaga or swede (_Brassica napus_ _Napobrassica_-gruppen)
_Rova and majrova_ - turnip (_Brassica rapa ssp. rapa_)

_Kinakål or salladskål _- Chinese or salad cabbage (_Brassica rapa ssp. chinensis var. perviridis_) 
_Pak choi_ _(Brassica rapa var. chinensis)_ 
_Kailaan or kinesisk broccoli_ (_Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra)
_While the _kinakål _is commonly used in Sweden, the two others are rare, you can find them sometimes in shops, or buy seed and grow them yourself


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## rusita preciosa

Russian:
Cabbage: *капуста */kapusta/*
*Chinese cabbage – _I don’t know and Wiki is silent __
_Cauliflower  *цветная капуста */tsvetnaya kapusta/ - flower cabbage
Broccoli - *брокколи* /brokkoli/
Brussels sprouts - *брюссельская капуста */brusselskaya kapusta/ - Brussels cabbage
Kohlrabi - *кольраби */kol'rabi/


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## Youngfun

rusita preciosa said:


> Chinese cabbage – _I don’t know and Wiki is silent _


китайская капуста!


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## rusita preciosa

Youngfun said:


> китайская капуста!


Probably!


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## bibax

Czech:

Brassica oleracea (wild) = *brukev zelná*;

cabbage = *zelí* (cf. zelený = green, zelenina = vegetable);
Savoy cabbage (var. sabauda) = *kapusta* (< L. composita?, originally it meant _cabbage_ like in Russian);
Brussels sprouts = *růžičková kapusta* (růžička = little rose);
kohlrabi = *kedluben* (< Ger. Kellrüben);
cauliflower = *květák* (< květ = flower; colloq. *karfiol* < cavolfiore);
broccoli = *brokolice*;

*čínské zelí* (= "Chinese cabbage");
*pekingské zelí* (= "Peking cabbage"), it's something else than čínské zelí;


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## ThomasK

In Dutch the main word is *'kool'*. 

Cabbage: *kool**
*Chinese cabbage – Chinese kool 
Cauliflower - bloemkool 
Broccoli - broccoli
Brussels sprouts - spruitjes 
Kohlrabi - koolrabi


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## Havfruen

Kale is a close relative of all of these. All are in the family Brassica.


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## AutumnOwl

Havfruen said:


> Kale is a close relative of all of these. All are in the family Brassica.


In Sweden kale is known as _grönkål_ (green cabbage).


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## arielipi

Hebrew
Cabbage: כרוב kruv*
Chinese cabbage** כרוב סיני kruv sini**
>Napa cabbage: כרוב סיני kruv sini
>Bok choi: **bak choi**
Cauliflowers: כרובית kruvit ( kruv + female ending)
Broccoli: ברוקולי broccoli
Brussels sprout כרוב ניצנים kruv nitzanim (**nitzanim **is the very first stage after the seed has been planted, and things start popping from the soil)
Kohlrabi כרוב הקלח ברוקולי kruv hakelakh, broccoli.
Red cabbage כרוב אדום kruv adom  ( the regular, green cabbage is called כרוב לבן kruv lavan (white cabbage) )
Acephala group כרוב עלים kruv alim (leaves[=leaf] cabbage)
**Capitata group כרוב הגינה kruv hagina garden cabbage
Turnip לפת lefet
Rapeseed לפתית liftit*


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## Youngfun

Thanks guys, your contributions are interesting.
I've corrected my first post, I was wrong. Cabbage in Italian is _cavolo cappuccio_, not _verza_. While _verza_ is savoy cabbage, a vegetable typical of Northern Italy.
Thanks to Wikipedia and WR dictionary, I'm adding new stuff.

Italian:
Romanesco broccoli: *broccolo romanesco *(_romanesco_ means something typical of the Roman folk). Other terms: broccolo romano, cavolo romanesco, cavolo romano, cavolfiore romanesco, cavolfiore romano.
Savoy cabbage: *cavolo verza *(=_verza_ cabbage), or *verza*. Also *cavolo di Milano* (=Milan cabbage), *cavolo lombardo* (=Lombard cabbage), *cavolo di Savoia* (=Savoy cabbage).
Brussels sprout: *cavolino di Bruxelles, cavoletto di Bruxelles *(=Bruxelles little cabbage)
kohlrabi: *cavolo rapa* (=turnip cabbage)
kale: *cavolo riccio* (=curly cabbage), *cavolo verde* (=green cabbage, same as Swedish)

Chinese:
Romanesco broccoli: *宝塔花菜* báo tǎ huā cài *(=treasure tower cauliflower? ).
Savoy cabbage: _I don’t know and Wiki is silent _
Brussels sprout: *抱子甘蓝 bào zǐ gān lán* (=hugging child cabbage), *球芽甘蓝 qiú yá gān lán* (=ball sprout cabbage), colloq. *小洋白菜 xiǎo yáng bái cài, 小圆白菜 xiǎo yuán bái cài, 小卷心菜 xiáo juǎn xīn cài, 小椰菜 xiǎo yē cài *(they all mean "small cabbage", see the many synonyms for cabbage in #1)
kohlrabi:*苤蓝 piě lán, 撇蓝 piě lán, 擘蓝 bò lán *(they are all sth+蓝, so are considered kinds of Brassica), *芜菁 wú jīng,* colloq. *大头菜 dà tóu cài *(=big head vegetable)
kale: *羽衣甘蓝 yǔ yī gān lán* (=feather-clothed cabbage), *无头甘蓝 wú tóu gān lán* (=head-less cabbage), *海甘蓝 hǎi gān lán* (=sea cabbage), *叶牡丹 yè mǔ dān* (=peony with leaves)

As always, Chinese has lots of synonyms... 
*They are not common in China. In my family in Italy we just call it 绿花菜 (green cauliflower = broccoli) - we don't even distinguish cauliflowers and broccoli, so for us Romanesco broccoli are just broccoli. 



AutumnOwl said:


> _Palmkål or svartkål_ - palm or black cabbage Nero di Toscana _(Brassica oleracea var. acephala)_


I think that's *cavolo nero* (=black cabbage) in Italian.


> _Broccollo or romanesco_ - romanesco cabbage (_Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)_


That's interesting. You change the spelling of broccoli to mean Romanesco broccoli?
According Wikipedia they are called either Romanesco broccoli or Roman cauliflowers in English. But many people also say Romanesco cabbage.



bibax said:


> *čínské zelí* (= "Chinese cabbage"); = bak choi = Chinese 小白菜
> *pekingské zelí* (= "Peking cabbage"), it's something else than čínské zelí; = napa cabbage = Chinese 大白菜


If they are the same as the Latin scientific names.


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## bibax

> If they are the same as the Latin scientific names.


Yes, Brassica chinensis (čínské aka pak-čoi) and Brassica pekinensis (pekingské).

Brassica pekinensis is commonly used, however it is often incorrectly called _čínské zelí_ (Br. chinensis) which is rather rare in our country.


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## apmoy70

Youngfun said:


> Thanks guys, your contributions are interesting.
> I've corrected my first post, I was wrong. Cabbage in Italian is _cavolo cappuccio_, not _verza_. While _verza_ is savoy cabbage, a vegetable typical of Northern Italy.
> Thanks to Wikipedia and WR dictionary, I'm adding new stuff.
> 
> Italian:
> Romanesco broccoli: *broccolo romanesco *(_romanesco_ means something typical of the Roman folk). Other terms: broccolo romano, cavolo romanesco, cavolo romano, cavolfiore romanesco, cavolfiore romano.
> Savoy cabbage: *cavolo verza *(=_verza_ cabbage), or *verza*. Also *cavolo di Milano* (=Milan cabbage), *cavolo lombardo* (=Lombard cabbage), *cavolo di Savoia* (=Savoy cabbage).
> Brussels sprout: *cavolino di Bruxelles, cavoletto di Bruxelles *(=Bruxelles little cabbage)
> kohlrabi: *cavolo rapa* (=turnip cabbage)
> kale: *cavolo riccio* (=curly cabbage), *cavolo verde* (=green cabbage, same as Swedish)



In Greek:

Romanesco broccoli: *«Μπρόκολο ρομάνο»* ['brokolo ro'mano]
Savoy cabbage: *«Λάχανο Σαβοΐας»* ['laxano savo'i.as] (lit. _cabbage of Savoy_).
Brussels sprout: *«Λαχανάκι Βρυξελλών»* [laxa'naci vrikse'lon] (lit. _little-cabbage of Brussels_).
Kohlrabi: *«Ραπάνι»* [ra'pani] (neut.) < Byzantine neuter diminutive *«ῥαπάνιον»* rhapánion & *«ῥαφάνιον»* rhaphánion, of Classical masc. noun *«ῥάφανος» rhắpʰanŏs* --> _turnip, rape_ (PIE *rāp-, _rape (vegetable)_ cf Ger. Rübe); also *«γογγύλι»* [ɣoɲ'ɟili] (neut.) < Byz. neuter diminutive *«γογγύλιον»* goɲɟílion, of Classical masculine noun *«γογγύλος» gŏŋgúlŏs* --> _anything round_ (PIE *gong-/*geng-, _lump, lumpy_); also *«ρέβα»* ['reva] (fem.) < Fr. _rave_. 
Kale: *«Λαχανίδα»* [laxa'niða] (fem.) < Byz. fem. noun *«λαχανίς»* laxanís (the feminine form of the neuter noun «λάχανον»)


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## Grefsen

Youngfun said:


> How are these vegetable grouped in your language? Are some of them considered varieties of the same vegetable?


Grazie/Xie Xie/Thanks for starting this interesting thread *Youngfun. * 

I really enjoy eating cabbage, but didn't realize there were so many different types.  



ThomasK said:


> In Dutch the main word is *'kool'*.
> 
> Chinese cabbage – Chinese kool


When I just checked the Wikipedia site for more information about "Chinese cabbage" I came across the Dutch word "Paksoi." When I clicked on Wikipedia's English version of "Chinese kool" I was redirected to the *Napa cabbage *site:



> *Napa or Nappa cabbage* (_Brassica rapa_ subsp. _pekinensis_), also known as *celery cabbage*, is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China, and is widely used in East Asian cuisine. In much of the world, this is the vegetable referred to as "Chinese cabbage". Nappa cabbage is lighter in color than other Chinese cabbages such as bok choy, which is also sometimes called Chinese cabbage. In the United Kingdom, this vegetable is known as "Chinese Leaf", in New Zealand, as "Wong Bok" or "Won bok", and in Australia, as "wombok cabbage".


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## Youngfun

Yes, there's a certain confusion between the two types of Chinese cabbage... see here.

I think napa is more common than bak choi in Europe, so napa is called "Chinese cabbage" in many countries.
Even in Chinese. In most of China 白菜 (bai2 cai4) without specifying big or small means generally "napa", while in Cantonese 白菜 means generally "bak choi" (hence the name in English).

I guess "Wong Bok" should be the Cantonese pronunciation of 黃白 (abbreviation of 黃芽白 as I wrote in #1). Chinese immigration in Australia and NZ is mostly Cantonese.


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## Tonky

Hi, another interesting thread, YoungFun!

Japanese:
Cabbage: *キャベツ* _kyabetsu_　(loanword from English cabbage or French caboche)
Chinese cabbage: 白菜？but we do not usually include Bok choi for 白菜. For Chinese vegetables, 中国野菜.
Napa cabbage: *白菜 *_hakusai _(lit. white vegetable) 
Bok choi: *青梗菜 / チンゲンサイ *_chin gen sai_ (loanword from Chinese? It is said to have come from 華南, China, around 1970s when Japan and China restablished diplomatic relations. Many farmers grow them here now.)
Cauliflowers: *カリフラワー *_karifurawā _(loanword from English) ; *花キャベツ* _hana kyabetsu_ (lit. flower cabbage)
Broccoli: *ブロッコリ/ブロッコリー *_burokkori _(loanword from English)

Regarding cabbage, the below are mainly known here and often distinguished from normal cabbages.
*紫キャベツ* _murasaki kyabetsu_ (lit. purple cabbage) Mostly eaten raw in salad, leaves have vivid purple color
*葉牡丹* _habotan_ (lit. leaf paeonia) Ornamental kalecabbage and some people call this 花キャベツ too
*グリーンボール* _gurīn bōru (green ball)_ It's a kind of cabbage but it is usually ball-like round, thicker leaves.
*芽キャベツ* _me kabetsu_ (lit. cabbage sprouts) 
(savoy cabbages are well-known too, but most consumers still consider them cabbages. And it may be only my area, but I hardly see Kohlrabi (コールラビ in Japanese) in usual markets.)
for reference: http://vegetable.alic.go.jp/panfu/cabbage/cabbage.html

So, I think cabbages and napa cabbages （and maybe lettuce too here, though it is not in the same group scientifically) are grouped together in Japan, but I doubt people would include Bok choi there. Farmers or hobby gardeners (which is popular lately) do, due to their own experience of growing them, but many consumers would treat bok choi as a kind of "green vegetables" such as spinach, or just as "Chinese veges", I think.


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## Youngfun

こんにちは, Tonky.


Tonky said:


> Bok choi: *青梗菜 / チンゲンサイ *_chin gen sai_ (*loanword from Chinese?* It is said to have come from 華南, China, around 1970s when Japan and China restablished diplomatic relations. Many farmers grow them here now.)


Probably yes. The pronunciation is very close to the Chinese _qīng gěng cài.
_


> *紫キャベツ* _murasaki kyabetsu_ (lit. purple cabbage) Mostly eaten raw in salad, leaves have vivid purple color


Chinese: *紫甘蓝* _zǐ gān lán_ (=purple cabbage)
Italian: *cavolo rosso* (=red cabbage)

I don't know if it's the same thing as radish....



> *葉牡丹* _habotan_ (lit. leaf paeonia) Ornamental kale and some people call this 花キャベツ too


Kale? Same as (one of many) Chinese word for kale.



> *グリーンボール* _gurīn bōru (green ball)_ It's a kind of cabbage but it is usually ball-like round, thicker leaves.


It looks like the same thing as cabbage to me...
*
*野菜 is a false friend: apparently it means "vegetable" in Japanese, but "wild herb/vegetable" in Chinese.


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## Tonky

Youngfun said:


> Chinese: *紫甘蓝* _zǐ gān lán_ (=purple cabbage)
> Italian: *cavolo rosso* (=red cabbage)
> 
> I don't know if it's the same thing as radish....


I know it is not the same as radish  but it is a cabbage like this.
As for radish, we call ラディッシュ（loanword, radish) or 廿日大根/二十日大根(hatsuka daikon, meaning 20-day-大根)



> Kale? Same as (one of many) Chinese word for kale.


>.< sorry, I meant cabbage...　we do have ケール(keeru, loanword from kale) too.



> It looks like the same thing as cabbage to me...


ha ha, I know what you mean. Probably those who do not cook much may just consider them the same, but whoever cooks a lot distinguish it from cabbages. It is just a kind of cabbage and tastes like cabbage, but those who are interested in do not call them cabbages. Sometimes a mother sends her son to buy a cabbage and he buys a green-ball and then gets yelled at or vice versa 

My 2 cents; normal cabbages are oval, it's harder (tougher) inside, green-ball is like a soccer ball and a bit smaller than normal cabbages, it's softer inside but the leaves are thicker and best eaten raw or pickled. it is also said that green-balls have more nutritious too, but do not grow in cold areas. 


> 野菜 is a false friend: apparently it means "vegetable" in Japanese, but "wild herb/vegetable" in Chinese.


Oh really? did not know that, thanks for your heads-up!


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## AutumnOwl

Tonky said:


> *グリーンボール* _gurīn bōru (green ball)_ It's a kind of cabbage but it is usually ball-like round, thicker leaves.


Judging from the photos I get when searching the Japanese name I would guess that it's either a head of a young early cabbage, in Sweden called sommarkål (summer cabbage), that later will become an ordinary cabbage (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. alba_), or if the leaves are thinner and crisper it may be a kind of lettuce, in Sweden called isbergssallad (iceberg salad)


Tonky said:


> I know it is not the same as radish  but it is a cabbage like this.


This is the red variant of ordinary cabbage, (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. rubra_). It's not as common as the white variant, but in Sweden it's a classical dish for many on the Christmas table.


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## Tonky

AutumnOwl said:


> Judging from the photos I get when searching the Japanese name I would guess that it's either a head of a young early cabbage, in Sweden called sommarkål (summer cabbage), that later will become an ordinary cabbage (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. alba_), or if the leaves are thinner and crisper it may be a kind of lettuce, in Sweden called isbergssallad (iceberg salad)


Is a young early cabbage/sommarkål just a cabbage you harvest early? If so, then it is not the same. A Green-ball does not change its shape. However, It could be our "春キャベツ/spring cabbage", even though I'm not sure if they grow to become a normal cabbage later... Its harvest season is different.
Iceberg is called レタス/lettuce here 



> This is the red variant of ordinary cabbage, (_Brassica oleracea_ var. _capitata f. rubra_). It's not as common as the white variant, but in Sweden it's a classical dish for many on the Christmas table.


Ah yes, except for that it actually looks like the red/purple variant of "green-ball".
It is possible that what is called cabbage in Europe is green-ball here, even though I thought I heard green-balls cannot survive in a cold climate.

Here is another comparison picture, from the top left; 
春キャベツ/spring cabbage  ----  （冬）キャベツ/normal cabbage
グリーンボール/green-ball  ----  ちりめんキャベツ or サボイキャベツ/savoy cabbage
プティ・シュー・ベール(petit chou ~? probably French)/young savoy  ---  芽キャベツ/brussel sprouts
紫キャベツ/purple cabbage  ---  黒キャベツ(black cabbage) or カーボロネロ/"Cavolo Nero", Italian

※I just noticed now, but in the above link it says "green-ball" is a hybrid from Danish cabbage called "Copenhagen Market".


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## AutumnOwl

There are several cultivars of cabbage and I think that the "green-ball" is just a cultivar (variant) of the common cabbage that has been selected to tolerate a hot and humid climate, see these variants from a Japanese seed company, while the "Copenhagen Market" is more suitable for a colder climate, like these ones. The only difference between spring, summer and winter cabbage is that they are different cultivars, depending on when they are ready to be harvested, the spring and summer variants grows quickly and are not suitable for storage, the winter cabbage takes longer to mature and can be stored until early spring.


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## Youngfun

I'm not sure, but I think here in Northern China (colder climate) cabbages are bigger and oval, similar to what you call "normal cabbages", while in Southern China (hot and humid) cabbages are round like balls, similar to what you call "green balls" - in fact in my dialect it's called 球菜 "ball vegetable".
But they are considered the same thing in China. 



Tonky said:


> I know it is not the same as radish  but it is a cabbage like this.


Sorry >.< I got confused by the false friend... what I meant is radicchio in Italian, according to Wikipedia called "radicchio" or "Italian chicory" in English - but now I see that cavolo rosso (lit. "red cabbage", =purple cabbage) is different.


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## OneStroke

Youngfun said:


> Cantonese:
> Cabbage: *椰菜* (lit. coconut vegetable ?)
> Chinese cabbage: *白菜 *(lit. white vegetable) (?)
> >Napa cabbage: *大白菜*(lit. big white vegetable), *黃芽白 *(yellow sprout - white ?), *紹菜* (Shaoxing vegetable ?)
> >Bok choi: *白菜 *(lit. white vegetable) (?)
> Cauliflowers: *花椰菜*(lit. flowered coconut vegetable)
> Broccoli: *花椰菜*(same as cauliflowers)



Actually, in Cantonese (at least in Hong Kong!) we say 椰菜花 (cabbage flowers - cf. Fr. chou-fleur) for cauliflower and 西蘭花 for broccoli, like everyone else.


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