Category: "Vegetables"

Капуста

by Don  

The Russian word for cabbage is капуста. It is a perfectly regular feminine noun that declines like this:

SgPl
Nomкапустакапусты
Accкапусту
Genкапустыкапуст
Preкапустекапустах
Datкапустам
Insкапустойкапустами

Russian families eat cabbage all the time, so you can often come across phrases like this:

— Ты любишь капусту?
— Да, очень.
“Do you like cabbage?”
“Yes, I like it a lot.”
— Хочешь ещё капусты?
— Да, пожалуйста.
“Do you want some more cabbage?”
“Yes, please.”
— С чем пирожки?
— С капустой.
“What kind of pirozhki are these?”
“Cabbage.”
Древние римляне очень бережно относились к капусте. (source) The ancient Romans had great respect for cabbage.
Купи два кочана капусты. Buy two heads of cabbage.

The Russians eat cabbage ten thousand ways. The Russian version of sauerkraut is called квашеная капуста, literally “fermented cabbage.” If you wrap the leaves around meat and rice and then steam them, then they are called голубцы. If you turn it into soup, it is called щи. If you add beets to the soup, you end up with борщ. If you put it on your head with mayonaisse, it is an aid to logical thinking.

Okay, I made that last bit up, but I really do love cabbage nowadays. If you have never developed the habit of eating it, take a quick trip to Russia where they know how to cook it right.