Would you know napa cabbage if you saw it? It’s a word that’s foreign to many Americans, but there’s a good chance that you’ve had some before if you’ve dined at our Seattle Korean restaurant. This is the vegetable that most kimchi is made out of, as well as the leaf that is often used to wrap up your Korean barbecue before eating it. It’s well loved across much of Asia for its taste, as well as its many nutritional benefits:
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Napa has a particularly low caloric content, putting it among celery as a zero or negative calorie vegetable.
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Napa provides a high level of vitamin C, and a good amount of vitamin A. It also features a number of important B vitamins, like riboflavin and folic acid.
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Napa is an abundant source of fiber, both soluble and insoluble.
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Vitamin K, found largely in cabbages like napa, plays an important role in the health of your bones. Scientific studies have also revealed the vitamin’s potential to prevent damage to the brain and help prevent conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
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Napa also contains many electrolytes and minerals, including calcium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and iron.