Surely you must have wondered what the deal was with red and green cabbage. And since we know that nothing is random in nature, the difference in color must say something about each type of cabbage, right? Let’s find out together what the differences between red and green cabbage are.

Descriptions

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Red cabbage is also known as “purple cabbage” or “red/blue kraut” after preparation. It is a type of cabbage with dark red or purple leaves. Its color depends on the level of acidity in the soil. Therefore, a more acid soil will give red cabbage, having higher levels of anthocyanins. Cabbage with purple colored leaves probably came from a more neutral soil. From a nutritional point of view, red cabbage has lots of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and iron.

It is cultivated in spring in well-fertilized and humid soil. It is harvested in fall and it keeps well over winter, even without being turned into sauerkraut. You can find it in most of Europe, in the Americas, and in China.

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Green cabbage is a type of cabbage with pale green leaves. It is known for having considerable amounts of vitamin K and folate. Vitamin K helps blood coagulate and it plays an important role in bone mineralization and density.

When cooked, green cabbage turns sweeter. Also, green cabbage is preferred for sauerkraut and it keeps better over the cold months.

Red vs Green Cabbage

So what is the difference between red and green cabbage?

As expected, the difference in color does reflect in nutritional differences between the two types of cabbages. Therefore, red cabbage is full of antioxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and iron. On the other hand, green cabbage is rich in vitamin K and folate.

As far as taste goes, they both taste pretty much the same except that green cabbage turns sweeter when cooked, and it needs to be turned into sauerkraut to keep better over the cold season. Red cabbage keeps better without being pickled. It also turns slightly blue when cooked.

Comparison Chart