VegetableCabbage
Aichi Chinese Cabbage
Aichi Chinese Cabbage is a heritage variety from Japan's Aichi Prefecture that brings authentic dento yasai tradition to your garden. Over 70 days, it produces large, barrel-shaped heads with remarkably tender midribs and mild, sweet leaves that taste nothing like the harsh cabbage of common myth. Growing 12-18 inches tall in zones 2-10, this compact heirloom adapts to nearly any climate and rewards you with succulent greens ready for fresh slaws, cooked preparations, or pickling.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeBush
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
This old Japanese heirloom produces distinctly tender leaves with a sweet, delicate flavor that softens and sweetens further when cooked or pickled. The barrel-shaped heads cradle succulent midribs that provide satisfying texture without the tough, sulfurous bite of modern cabbage hybrids. Its compact growth and reliable 70-79 day maturity make it manageable for most gardeners, while its hardiness across zones 2-10 means it grows almost anywhere.
Common Uses
This variety shines in cooked dishes where its inherent sweetness and tender leaves become even more delicate and rich. It transforms beautifully in stir-fries, steamed preparations, and simmered vegetable dishes. Fresh slaws showcase its mild character, while its thin, succulent midribs make it particularly suited to pickling and fermentation, where it develops complex flavor over time. The entire head is edible and usable, from outer leaves to tender inner blanched sections.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Harvesting
Harvest when heads reach mature size and feel firm to gentle pressure, typically 70-79 days after sowing. Cut the entire head at soil level using a sharp knife, or harvest outer leaves continuously as the plant grows if you prefer extended picking. Morning harvest, when leaves are most turgid and crisp, yields the best texture and sweetness.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa var Pekinensis ‘Aichi’
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Growth Habit
Bush
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)
History & Origin
“Aichi Chinese Cabbage traces its lineage to Aichi Prefecture in Japan, where it has been preserved and grown for generations as a dento yasai, or traditional Japanese vegetable variety. This heritage carries the imprint of Japanese agricultural wisdom, passed down through families and communities who understood how to select for sweetness, tenderness, and the kind of flavor that develops best when leaves are cooked slowly or allowed to ferment into pickles. Its survival to the present day speaks to gardeners and seed savers who recognized that this variety offers something supermarket cabbage cannot: genuine flavor and cultural continuity.”