kohlrabi
LowFormal/Technical in culinary, horticultural, and grocery contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A type of cabbage with a turnip-like swollen stem, eaten as a vegetable.
The edible swollen stem of this plant, often prepared by roasting, steaming, or adding to soups and stews.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers both to the plant (Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group) and its edible part. The name is derived from German, combining words for 'cabbage' and 'turnip'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word is identical in spelling and meaning. Pronunciation differs slightly.
Connotations
Associated with health food, farmers' markets, and gourmet cooking in both varieties. Slightly more common in US culinary discourse due to broader immigrant influences.
Frequency
Low frequency in both, but marginally higher in American English due to its inclusion in diverse cuisines and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
grow kohlrabipeel kohlrabicook with kohlrabisubstitute kohlrabi forVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No common idioms”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in agricultural reports, import/export documents, and grocery retail product listings.
Academic
Found in botany, horticulture, and nutritional science texts.
Everyday
Used in cooking instructions, recipe blogs, and discussions at farmers' markets.
Technical
Used in botanical classification and agricultural cultivation guides.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- The kohlrabi soup was surprisingly delicious.
- She prepared a kohlrabi and apple salad.
American English
- The kohlrabi slaw had a nice crunch.
- We're trying a kohlrabi fries recipe.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This is a kohlrabi. It is a vegetable.
- The kohlrabi is purple or green.
- I bought a kohlrabi at the market to try something new.
- You can eat kohlrabi raw in a salad or cooked in a soup.
- The recipe suggests roasting the kohlrabi with olive oil and herbs until it's tender and caramelised.
- Although it looks unusual, kohlrabi has a mild, sweet flavour similar to broccoli stems.
- Kohlrabi, a cultivar of the same species as cabbage and broccoli, is prized for its crisp texture and nutritional density, particularly its high vitamin C content.
- The chef's innovative use of shaved kohlrabi as a base for ceviche demonstrated its versatility beyond simple roasting or mashing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'COAL-ROBBIE'. Robbie the miner found a purple vegetable that looked like a lump of coal – it was a kohlrabi.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SPUTNIK or ALIEN SPACESHIP (due to its unusual, bulbous shape with protruding stems).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend: The Russian word 'кольраби' (kól'rabi) is a direct borrowing, identical in meaning and usage.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'kolarabi', 'kolrabi', or 'cole rabbi'.
- Confusing it with kohl (eyeliner) or the vegetable kohlrabi with celeriac or turnip.
Practice
Quiz
Kohlrabi is most closely related to which of the following vegetables?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It has a mild, sweet, and slightly peppery flavour, similar to a cross between broccoli stems and cabbage hearts, with a crisp, apple-like texture when raw.
Yes, the young, tender leaves are edible and can be cooked like kale or collard greens.
Peel the tough outer skin with a knife, then slice, dice, or grate the inner flesh. It can be eaten raw, roasted, steamed, stir-fried, or added to soups.
No, they are different species. While both have swollen stems, kohlrabi is a cultivar of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), and turnip is Brassica rapa. Their flavours and textures are distinct.