Brassica oleracea is one species bred into a remarkable range of vegetables: cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts and kai lan. Tamil calls cabbage muttaikos and kohlrabi noolkol; Hindi calls cabbage patta gobhi and cauliflower phool gobhi. India is the world’s second-largest grower of both cabbage and cauliflower after China. All of these started from wild cabbage on European sea cliffs.
- Botanical name
- Brassica oleracea L.
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Tamil
- Muttaikos
- Hindi
- Patta gobhi
- Parts used
- Leaf head, Flower head, Swollen stem
- Habit
- Cabbage complex; cauliflower and knol khol are cultivar groups, not second species
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Muttaikos
The plants have thick, waxy, blue-green or grey-green leaves that shed water droplets.
Cabbage forms a tight head of leaves, cauliflower and broccoli form dense heads of flower buds, and kohlrabi forms a swollen ball of stem.
If left to flower, the plants send up a tall stem with pale yellow, four-petalled flowers.
The pods are long and slender with rows of small round seeds.
Mustard greens, Brassica juncea, have bright green, thinner, often frilly leaves with a hot taste.
Traditional use of Muttaikos
Kitchen
Cabbage poriyal, cauliflower aloo gobhi, and noolkol kootu are everyday dishes across India.
Indian food practice
Kitchen
In Korea and Germany cabbage is fermented into kimchi and sauerkraut that keep for months.
Korean and German food practice
Farming
Indian breeders developed early cauliflowers that form heads in warm weather, which let farmers grow it from August, long before winter.
Indian horticultural practice
Modern notes on Muttaikos
These vegetables contain glucosinolates, which break down when chopped into isothiocyanates such as sulforaphane, widely studied in broccoli.
They are good sources of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and fibre.
Very large amounts of raw brassicas can interfere with iodine use by the thyroid, but normal cooked portions are not a concern.
The diamondback moth, a major pest, has developed resistance to many insecticides in Indian cabbage fields.
Muttaikos safety
Wash cabbage and cauliflower well and remove outer leaves, because the crops are often heavily sprayed and soil can carry tapeworm eggs into raw salads. People on warfarin should keep their intake of these greens steady.
Ecology and sourcing
Wild cabbage grows on limestone and chalk sea cliffs of western Europe and the Mediterranean.
The flowers are insect-pollinated and cross readily between crop forms, so seed growers keep them apart.
Cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on the leaves.
Related plants
Also in Brassicaceae
Questions about Muttaikos
Are cabbage and cauliflower one species?
Yes. They are cultivar groups of Brassica oleracea.
What is noolkol?
Kohlrabi, the form with a swollen, ball-like stem.
Is broccoli the same species too?
Yes, along with kale and Brussels sprouts.
Is raw cabbage safe in salads?
Yes, if the leaves are separated and washed thoroughly.
When is cauliflower grown in India?
Early types from late monsoon and main crops in winter.
Sources
- Brassica oleracea L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q146212 (Brassica oleracea)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.