Getting to the Root </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 8:22 PM on Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Getting to the Root

By Serge Lecomte

If you are an Alaska gardener, you probably raise cabbage.

Cabbage is one of the oldest vegetables that grew in the wild from Spain to Mongolia. Since the name varies — cabbage, choux, kapusta — it was not borrowed.

According to mythology, cabbages came from the tears of Lycurgus. Unhappy by the sight of drunken mortals, he pulled up the grape vines and cabbages sprang up from his tears.

Demand for cabbage in Rome was so high the price went sky high.

Catherine de Medici brought in white, red and green varieties.

Jacques Cartier introduced cabbage to Canada in 1542. The English brought it to America a century later.

Barrels of cabbage were taken on board ships to prevent scurvy.

In the Middle Ages cabbage plasters were used for sciatica and varicose ulcers.

In England leftover cabbage is fried with potatoes and is called “bubble and squeak” for the sound it makes as it cooks.

Dr. Serge Lecomte graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in linguistics. He taught Russian and Spanish at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has lived in the Homer area since 1999 and writes plays and novels for fun.

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