'Early Purple Vienna' Kohlrabi

Brassica oleracea var. gondylodes Origin: Vienna, Austria Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~100 Germination tested 12/2022: 91% Life cycle: Biennial Kohlrabi is one of those strange plants that when you first see it growing you think it might just be from another planet. Many people who only ever see it being sold at markets assume it must be a root vegetable, but the part we eat is actually a swollen stem. Like Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi is a relatively new development in the cabbage family, believed to descend from wild "marrow cabbages" that grow along the coast of Northern Europe. Its first written mention comes from an Italian botanist (Mattioli) in 1554, who said it had "come lately into Italy." By the end of the century it was being grown in Austria, Germany, England, Italy, Spain, North Africa, and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. Today, it's become a part of the food culture in countries as far away as Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and India.The flavor and texture is s