Where did kohlrabi originate from?

Answer 1

Kohlrabi, also known as knol-khol, has been grown since at least the first century AD, when Pliny the Elder mentioned a "Corinthian turnip", which, from its described growing habits, was almost certainly kohlrabi. Apicius, a Roman cookbook compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD, mentions a similar vegetable. Charlemagne, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 800 A.D., ordered kohlrabi to be grown in the lands under his reign. "Kohlrabi" is a German word; Kohl means cabbage and Rabi means turnip.

Kohlrabi was apparently perfected in northern Europe not long before the 16th century. The "marrow cabbage" from which it was probably bred is a cold-tender, non-heading plant with a thick succulent stem, while kohlrabi is a hardy vegetable developed in a cool climate. The first description of kohlrabi was by a European botanist in 1554. By the end of the 16th century it was known in Germany, England, Italy, Spain, Tripoli, and the eastern Mediterranean.

Kohlrabi was an important staple of the diet in Northern India in the 17th century. It is said to have been first grown on a field scale in Ireland in 1734, in England in 1837. In the United States, records of its use go back to 1806. More recently, it's been found in the cuisines of Israel, China, and Africa.