The cultivated Brassica oleracea or “wild cabbage” is grown annually. It’s a popular vegetable throughout the world, with densely packed leaves, vibrant green or purple colours, and an impressive nutritional profile.

This versatile vegetable is believed to have been first cultivated in Europe some 3,000 years ago. In China, records of its use date back to 4,000 BC. The three biggest producers of cabbage are China, India and Russia - and Russia is its biggest consumer. The heaviest on record weighed a whopping 127lbs!

Although this vegetable is humble in nature, you'll find it as the star ingredient in recipes all across the world. In India, Gujarati cabbage uses salt to extract moisture before cooking it with spices, lime and coriander for a healthy and fragrant dish. In Ireland, it combines with mashed potatoes, bacon and cream for the ultimate in comfort food; Colcannon. Across Asia, it is also used to make sweet Halwa with ghee, sugar, cardamom, milk and pistachio nuts.

You can also use this vegetable to make gut-loving probiotic-heavy dishes, like sauerkraut and kimchi. From Eastern Europe and Korea respectively, these traditionally fermented dishes use lactic bacterial acid to create a highly nutritious (and tasty) accompaniment to any savoury meal. Sauerkraut is very easy to make and it only requires your basic cabbage, salt and some caraway seeds for flavour. Shred the veg in a food processor, massage salt into it until a brine begins to form and it reduces, then store the mix in a sealed, sterile jar for several days until fermentation occurs. It tastes especially good with sausages and mustard.

Whilst there are many types of cabbage available across the globe, there are four main types that dominate British cabbage recipes. These are:

• Red cabbage: The brightest type of cabbage used, the red cabbage is often eaten raw, added into salads or pickled as the ideal side dish
• Green cabbage: The common cabbage, one you're most likely to see on plates across the country
• Chinese cabbage: The wombok cabbage is the more oblong-shaped type that is the star of many Asian dishes
• Savoy cabbage: Often mistaken for the green cabbage, this one offers sweet flavours with crispy leaves the closer to the centre you reach