S EA R C H LIG H T Which of the following is not mentioned as a member of the cabbage family a broccoli b cauliflower c carrot d Brussels sprouts 10
CABBAGE T he Head ofa VegetableFamily Cabbage has been grown for food since ancient times Nearly 3,000 years ago the Greek poet Homer mentioned it in his story-poem the Iliad Wild cabbage is native to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea It also grows wild on the sea cliffs of Great Britain The ancient Romans probably planted it there Cabbages have thick moist leaves with a waxy coating The leaves are often gray-green or blue-green in color Cabbage plants like cool weather and deep rich soil Over hundreds of years many vegetables have been developed from the wild cabbage Some are used for garden decoration or for feeding animals But people eat many kinds The cabbage group includes the common Two heads of cauliflower Ed Young Corbis cabbage cauliflower broccoli Brussels sprouts and several other vegetables They are rich in vitamins and minerals and low in calories The common or head cabbage has a tight bunch of leaves the head around a center stem People eat the leaves raw or cook them Cabbage soup is a popular dish in much of eastern Europe Finely chopped raw cabbage is the main ingredient in a salad called cole slaw If sliced-up cabbage is salted and put away for a long time it goes through a chemical change The result is sauerkraut a popular dish in Germany In Korea cabbage is a major ingredient in the traditional dish called kimchi Cauliflower has a head of tight thick white flowers People eat the flowers either raw or cooked Broccoli has bright green loosely clustered flowers People eat these flowers along with the tender stalks Brussels sprout plants have many little cabbage-like heads instead of one large head at the top DID YOU KNOW In France a popular term for a loved one is petit choux which means little cabbage LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES GRAPES PALM TOMATOES There are more than a hundred varieties of cabbage Common or head cabbage is pictured here Eric Crichton Corbis Answer c The carrot is not part of the cabbage family 11
Fig trees grow only in hot dry climates Shown here is the fruit of the fig tree as it ripens Richard T Nowitz Corbis 12
FIGS Poor Man’sFoo d In Mediterranean countries the fig is used so widely both fresh and dried that it is called the poor man’s food The soft juicy fruit of the fig tree cannot remain fresh for long in the hot climate where it grows So it has to be dried in the sun before it is sent to the market Fresh or dried the fig is packed with food value EA R C H LIG S H T Figs were first found growing around the Mediterranean Sea It’s no surprise then that figs still grow in the countries bordering the Mediterranean including Turkey Greece Italy and Spain Spanish missionaries introduced the fig tree to Mexico and California The entire fig crop in the United States comes from California There are four main types of figs caprifig Smyrna Why would the fact that so many people eat figs earn it the nickname poor man’s food Hint Food costs money White San Pedro and Common When a fig is introduced into another country a new name is often given to it The Smyrna fig became known as the Calimyrna fig in California Fig plants are either bushes or small trees Fig trees are easily grown from cuttings off an adult tree The fruit occurs either singly or in pairs The trees produce two or three crops a year The best-tasting dried figs are those that have been allowed to dry partly on the tree The figs are then laid out on trays to finish drying in the sun Turning and moving them about while they dry improves their quality Most dried figs are eaten in their natural form though many are ground into a paste to be used in bakery products LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES GRAPES NUTS OLIVE D I D YO U K N O W There are more than 900 members of the fig group One of them the Bo in India It is sacred tree or pipal ieved to be the tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained bel ightenment is enl always eat the figs found growing wild Answer Poor people can’t afford many kinds of food but can 13
