Flathead Cabbage - [Taiwian Cabbage, Group capitata f. alba]
Marketed as "Taiwan Cabbage" in a Los Angeles Asian market, this is not an Asian cabage at all but a regular White Cabbage of the flathead persuasion. In the U.S. white cabbages are described by season (early, mid, late) and by shape (flat, round, etc.). This cabbage can be used in the same manner as any other white cabbage. The photo specimen was 7-1/2 inches in diameter, 4 inches high and weighed 2 pounds.

Napa Cabbage - This is actually a turnip green - see Napa Cabbage under Asian Greens.

Red Cabbage - [Red Kraut, Blue Kraut, Group capitata var. f. rubra]
Red cabbages are very similar to the white except for the red coloration from Anthocyanin pigments. Color may vary from red to blue depending on acidity of the soil the cabbage grew in. This red pigment is a powerful antioxidant, the same one found in red wine. Red cabbage has been popular in Northern Europe because it keeps better than white cabbage so doesn't need to be made into sauerkraut to get through the winter. Some writers say red cabbage tastes exactly like white but that isn't quite true. Details & Cooking.

Savoy Cabbage - [Group capitata]
This cabbage is similar to White Cabbage but the leaves are all crinkly so the head is lighter in weight and pointy at the top. The leaves are very large and unwrap easily from the head.Taste is similar to White Cabbage except not quite as sweet, so you would probably only want to use this relatively expensive cabbage for recipes that have a real reason for its unique characteristics. The photo sample was 6 inches diameter and weighed 1-1/4 pounds.

White Cabbage - [Group capitata f. alba]
This is the standard Euro/American cabbage and the one European sauerkraut is made from (Asian sauerkraut is made from an entirely different cabbage. Many cultivars are grown but they all look exactly the same in the store. All the big loose outer leaves are remoaved at the farm and the last semi-loose ones are removed at the store leaving just a pale green ball of immature leaves. The photo specimen was a typical market size at 6 inches diameter and 2 pounds, but heads grown for sauerkraut can weigh up to 60 pounds. Details & Cooking.

Arugula [Arugula (us) Rocket (uk), Roquette (fr), Rucola (it), Rughetta (it), B. Eruca sativa (garden) B. Eruca vesicaria (wild)]
This popular salad green of Mediterranian origin has been used since at least Roman times. Almost unknown in the U.S. a decade ago it is today the "must have" green for yuppie salads so supermarkets stock precut and washed bags of "baby" arugula. The leaves are small and tender but have a distinctly mustardy bite, backed by an unusualy complex flavor. Some varieties have leaves more deeply cut than the photo specimen and the leaves are very deeply cut on the wild version. See also Rocket.

Chard - Chard is not a cabbage, it's a beet, a member of the Amaranth family.

Collard Greens - [Couve (Brazil), Couve-galega (Portugal), Berza (Spanish), Brassica oleracea Group Acephala]
This cabbage originated in the Mediterranean and was grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans who caried it as far north as Scotland. Scots took it to the American South where it was adopted by slaves because it could be used like an African green they were accustomed to cooking. Collard is probably a corruption of "coleworts" (cabbage plants). Collard greens are still popular in the U.S. South and available in groceries throughout the USA. They are also a popular side dish for fish and meat in Portugal and Brazil. These greens are very tough and rather indigestible raw, but are quite nutritious after cooking until tender - which takes a lot longer than for other cabbages. The photo specimens were up to 15 inches long.

Garden Cress - [Pepper Grass, Pepperwort, B. Lepidium sativum]
Used similarly to Watercress this green can tolerate a wider range of moisture conditions so can be grown either in the garden or hydroponically, prefering a slightly alkaline environment. It said to be in great demand in some regions but I have never seen it in Southern California where the broader leafed watercress is widely available year round. Garden cress can grow to about 24 inches high and when allowed to flower it produces fruits which when immature are similar to caper berries. Cropped from original photo by Rainer Zenz licensed under the GNU Free Document License v1.2 or later.

Kale - [Brassica oleracea Group Acephala]
Closely related to Collard Greens, kale comes in various shades of green (mostly dark blue-green) and degrees of curliness. Until the Renaisance kale was the dominant cabbage throughout most of Europe and is still much grown there and in North America. Curly Kale is the most common form in U.S. supermarkets but other varieties occasionally appear. In Europe kale is often paired with potatoes to accompany sausages or ham. Kale is considered the highest ranking vegetable for nutrition vs. calories and contains powerful antioxidants.

Kohlrabi - [Aaanth Gobhi (India), B. oleracea group Gongylodes]
It may look like it belongs with the root cabbages but the "bulb" is actually a swolen stem so it's all "greens". The leaves can be used along with the stem, which is similar to broccoli stem but sweeter. Generally these are eaten fairly small because they become woody as they grow larger, about 2 inches in the spring and 4 inches in the fall. Cultivar Gigante is still edible in larger sizes. Young kohlrabi can be eaten raw in salads as well as being cooked.

Mustard Greens - [Mustard Cabbage, B. juncea]
Possibly originating in Central Asia, this species spread all through Europe and China and exists as many cultivars very different from each other (see Gai Choy for an example). Mustard greens were carried to North America and is popular in the cuisine of the American South to give a touch of pungency to Collards and other greens.

Radish Sprouts - [Kaiware (Japan), Raphanus sativus (many cultivars)]
Radish greens aren't much used outside Asian communities, but Daikon Sprouts have become popular particularly for vegetarian sandwiches and salads where their sharp radishy bite helps to liven up the mix. They are generally packaged in a tall flimsy plastic container with growing matrix in the bottom. The photo specimen was 5 inches high (including matrix and roots) and weighed 5-3/8 ounces with a 2-1/2 ounce yield. For more on radish greens see under Asian Greens.

Rappini - [Broccoli Rabe, Broccoletti (Italian), B. Rapa Group Ruvo]
Though it looks much like Chinese Broccoli and has broccoli-like flower heads, Rappini is actually a turnip green. Originally an Italian vegetable it is now widely grown and widely available in the USA. The leaves have spiky edges and the taste is relatively sharp and just a touch bitter compared to broccoli. It is a significant source of vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, calcium, and iron.

Rocket - [Roquette (fr), Rucola (it), Rughetta (it), B. Eruca species, B. Diplotaxis species (wall rocket)]
There are many varieties of rocket, a lot of which are common weeds but some are used to pep up salad, particularly Arugula The photo specimen from a local market is sold as "Chae". I haven't found further information but from the market's clientel I presume it is a variety from Western Asia. It has the expected sharp mustard bite but the flavor is simpler than that of Arugula.

Turnip Greens - [B. rapa rapa]
Originating in Europe or Western Asia, the turnip has been cultivated since prehistoric times. It is most known as a root crop and has been essential to winter survival in Northern Europe for thousands of year. Some varieties have been developed for their leaves rather than roots. I consider this the best green for mixing up with sausages for breakfast. The photo specimens are nearly 18 inches long.

Watercress - [Kotem (Armenia), B. Nasturtium nasturtium-aquaticum and N. microphyllum]
Watercress, native to Europe and Western Asia, has been cultured and eaten since prehistoric times. Its relatively mild mustardy bite is a welcome addition to green salads and in sandwiches, but it's also used cooked in soups and other recipes. Depending on how it was grown and cut some of the stems can be quite large. All but the largest can be used along with the leaves as they are hollow, tender and have much the same flavor as the leaves. Details & Cooking.

A Choy - This is actually a lettuce and will be found in the Daisy section.

Bok Choy - [xiao baicai (Mandarin), Brassica rapa Group Chinensis]
Bok Choy, sharper in flavor and crisper than Napa Cabbage has become very popular for stir frys and soups and is now widely available in U.S. supermarkets, along with the misnamed "Baby Bok Choy" which is actually Shanghai Bok Choy. This vegetable is the "cabbage" of southern China while Napa takes its place in the north. It is available in a number of sizes. The largest is usually carried by U.S. groceries, while markets serving Asian communities commonly have it in mid-size, small and tiny versions, Bok choy does not form heads.

Bok Choy - Baby - [Brassica rapa Group Chinensis]
This is the "real" baby bok choy, one of my favorite vegetables for stir frys and such, but it's not widely available outside markets serving Asian communities. It is not really "baby", it's a tiny variety as witnessed by the mature flower heads you will find on it. Taste is similar to full size bok choy but the distribution of stem and leaf is more pleasing in my opinion.

Bok Choy - Long - [Brassica rapa Group Chinensis]
This cultivar is longer and narrower than a regular mid-size bok choy, but it tastes the same and can be used in exactly the same way. It occasionally shows up in Asian markets in Los Angles, but probably not much elsewhere.

Bok Choy - Shanghai - [Baby Bok Choy (U.S. groceries), qingcai (Shanghai Chinese), Chingensai (Japanese); Brassica rapa Group Chinensis]
Probably the most popular vegetable in Shanghai, this bok choy is now widely available in U.S. supermarkets. It's smaller than regular bok choy, so supermarkets anxious to snag the yuppie dollar call it "baby bok choy". Hey, yuppies snap up "baby carrots" (machine made from full size carrots), so they'll probably buy "baby" anything. Personally, I prefer a mid-size white bok choy, but others may disagree.

Chinese Broccoli - see Gai-lan.

Chinese Cabbage - see Napa Cabbage.

Choy Sum
This name does not specify a specific vegetable but translates as "vegetable heart". It consists of just the center stalk and flower head and the leaves directly on that stalk of any Chinese cabbage. The most common are Boc Choy Sum which has white stems and Yu Choy which has green stems.

Gai Choy - [Mustard Cabbage, Swatow Mustard, B. juncea]
Despite its different appearance, this mustard is of the same species as the common mustard greens sold in American groceries and has about the same pungency but the leaves and stems are fleshier. These greens are most commonly pickled and / or salted as "Preserved Mustard". In the larger sizes they are considered imperfectly digestible if not pickled, but smaller ones are used in stir frys. There are a number of cultivars including some that are longer and leafier with less prominant ridging on the stems.

Gai-lan - [Chinese Broccoli, Chinese Kale, Kai-lan (China), B. oleracea Group Alboglabra]
While it looks a lot like Rapini, Chinese Broccoli is related to European broccoli and cabbages while Rapini is a turnip green. It is different in form from European broccoli having thinner more tender stems, tiny flower heads and a lot of large leaves. The stems are always used and open flowers, generally white, do not become bitter and are also included with the rest of the plant when cooking. Separate leaves from stems and give the stems a head start when cooking. This is a very important vegetable in the cooking of China and Southeast Asia but only begining to show up in U.S. supermarkets. Details & Cooking.

Mizuna - [Kyona (Japan), Xiu Cai (China), Chinese Potherb Mustard (made up by people desperate for an English name), California Peppergrass, Brassica rapa Group Nipposinica]
This extremely mild turnip green is widely grown in China and particularly Japan. It's currently not common in regular markets even here in Los Angeles, and even in Asian markets, but is easily found in yuppie outlets like Whole Foods Market. You can use it raw in salads or cooked in soups and stir frys. Raw I find it so mild it's hardly worth the bother, but lightly steamed or stir fried it has much more flavor and is quite plesant, particularly if you consider regular mustard greens too strong.

Napa Cabbage - [Chinese Cabbage, Celery Cabbage; Da Baicai, Pe-Tsai, Wong Bok (China); Hakusai (Japan); Brassica rapa Group Pekinensis]
This turnip green is favored in northern China and Korea, especially for its winter keeping properties. There are two common forms, the short blocky form now found in just about every U.S. grocery store, and a long narrow form pointed at the top. The long form is found in markets serving Asian communities and is preferred for making Korean kimchee, Chinese sauerkraut and for other fermented or pickled applications. The taste and texture are the same, the long shape is simply more convenient for those uses. Details and Cooking.

Radish Greens - [Lobok (China), Mu (Korea), Daikon (Japan), Raphanus sativus (many cultivars)]
Radishes are a major crop in East Asia with all parts bring used, including greens. Korean markets here in Los Angeles carry a full line of radishes from "all greens" to giant multi-pound roots with their coarse greens removed - and many "dual purpose" sizes in between. The photo specimens are a variety sold primarily for greens.

Yu Choy - [Oilseed Rape, Yau Choy, Nanohana (Japanese), Brassica napus]
This is an edible variety of the same plant Canola Oil and Rapeseed Oil are produced from (Canola is a non-toxic low erucic acid rapeseed oil). While While most rape grown worldwide is used to produce oil and animal feed, the edible variety is used as a vegetable and widely available in the U.S. in markets serving Asian communities.