YEAR OF THE CABBAGE
YEAR OF THE CABBAGE
How an unlikely vegetable became star of the show.
First, there were Brussel sprouts. Then, there was cauliflower. And now, in the latest wave vegetables whose status has skyrocketed from forgotten to famous, an unexpected leafy green has emerged as the new foodie favorite. 2026, it has been decreed, is officially the year of the cabbage.
For chefs and home cooks across the country, it’s no surprise—and a long time coming. For decades now, cabbage has had a particularly bad rap in the popular zeitgeist. A cousin to kale, broccoli, and turnips, this member of the brassica family was often the punchline of a joke. But all the while, this underrated veggie remained a staple of various cuisines, climbing its way from a side dish or topping to being a meal’s centerpiece.
And it doesn’t take long to understand why it’s now making headlines, from the likes of Vogue, The Guardian, The Kitchn, and Pinterest, whose annual top trends report saw a dramatic spike in searches for this edible underdog.
A cabbage patch.
First cultivated thousands of years ago, cabbage is considered one of the oldest known vegetables. Likely originated in the Mediterranean, there are now more than 20 varieties, from the classic green and red to fancier napa, savoy, and sugarcone. And a few key factors play into its star power:
For starters, there’s affordability, with entire heads usually costing only a few bucks. (Need we say more?)
Then, there’s versatility. While best known as coleslaw at a summer picnic and sauerkraut on a Reuben or hot dog, it’s really a blank canvas for so much more. Both simple and decadent, its fresh raw flavor is easily charred or caramelized into an earthy depth. These days, you’ll find it in quite literally all forms: as a topping on tacos, in the fermented Korean condiment of kimchi, shredded into salads, seared like steak on the grill.
And of course, there’s nutrition. Cabbage is low in calories and high in nutrition. Packed with fiber, it’s good for digestion. Rich in Vitamin C and K, it’s a benefit for bone and immune health. A good source of potassium, it’s also linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. And best of all, you can essentially eat the whole thing, getting a good bang for your buck.
At Silver Diner, Chef Ype Von Hengst has spent most of his lifetime as a cabbage fan, even becoming a sort of connoisseur. “Growing up in the Netherlands, we’d eat cabbage all the time,” he says. “My mom made it with maple syrup, cloves, and cinnamon, plus a little vinegar to pucker it up, serving it alongside stewed meat. I slow cook it at home with a little honey or agave, mixing in bacon or apples, which is so delicious. You can also simply roast it olive oil, salt, and pepper.”
In the restaurants, Chef Ype uses the vegetable as often as possible. Right now, braised red cabbage is served atop dill mashed potatoes with 72-hour sous-vide short ribs for a winter. Throughout the year, he whips it into a range of slaws, from a summer version with sweet corn to another with cranberries in the fall, as well as an Asian style, swirled in soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar.
From our Seasonal Selections, the 72-hour Sous Vide Short Rib, available for a limited time.
“On top of its taste, it provides such a wonderful crunch,” he says. “It’s a hardy vegetable to grow and it has a great shelf life—you can keep it in the fridge for weeks.”
Chef Ype credits culinary competitions like Top Chef and Chopped for increasing our curiosity about previously uncool ingredients. Surely access to an abundance of online recipes has helped their reputations, too. No longer are we limited to recipes inherited from our parents and grandparents, which, to him, is a good thing.
“I like to look to them for inspiration, but I always try to do something different, I want to add something new,” he says. “These days, this is definitely not your grandmother’s cabbage. With this vegetable, you can do anything.”
A meet-and-greet at the Ballston Silver Diner.
MEET AND GREET!
Have you heard? Our beloved co-founder and executive chef Ype Von Hengst has been popping up around the DMV to hang with customers and hand out family-friendly prizes, including pins, hats, and gift cards to Silver Diner. On February 27, find him at the Springfield location from 6 to 8 p.m. For more dates at other locations, follow us on social media.