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Early White Vienna Kohlrabi | Heirloom Seed

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The Early White Vienna kohlrabi is an heirloom variety that has been grown in Europe since before 1860. Its round, pale green stem contains a white, crisp, and slightly sweet flesh with a mild flavor somewhere between a turnip and a cabbage heart. Very cold-resistant, it can be grown in the spring, autumn, and even winter in an unheated greenhouse: we harvested and ate it for much of the winter, delicious and perfectly sweet.

The story of the Early White Vienna

An heirloom vegetable of Europe

Kohlrabi is part of the Brassicaceae family, like cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. They all come from the wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), selected over the centuries by European growers.

It resembles a turnip, but it is not a root: it is its stem that swells just above the ground.

Its first written mention in Europe dates back to 1554. The Italian physician and botanist Pietro Andrea Mattioli described it then as a vegetable that had recently arrived in Italy. Its cultivation subsequently spread primarily in Central Europe, in German-speaking regions. In fact, its name comes from German, Kohlrabi: Kohlmeans cabbage, and Rabimeans turnip.

A variety born around Vienna

The Early White Vienna, called Early White Viennain English, bears the name of the Austrian capital, in the heart of Central Europe. It is known that it already existed before 1860, but no one can say with certainty who selected it or in what year.

At that time, gardeners were looking for fast-growing, compact, and high-quality vegetables. Older kohlrabi varieties were large and slow to mature. The Early White Vienna, however, formed its stem faster while maintaining tender flesh.

Vilmorin's description in 1883

In 1883, the Vilmorin-Andrieux company published Les Plantes potagères(The Vegetable Garden), a reference work on the vegetables of the era. The Early White Vienna is described therein as a distinct variety from the ordinary white kohlrabi, recognized for its extreme earliness, small foliage, and delicacy.

Arrival in North America

With trade and European immigration in the 19th century, many European vegetables crossed the Atlantic. In 1878, the American catalog Van Saun & Muzzy was already offering the Early White Viennakohlrabi. The variety remained in seed catalogs throughout the 20th century, and it can still be found today among seedsmen who preserve heirloom varieties.

A seed that is passed on

The Early White Vienna is an open-pollinated variety. You can therefore harvest its seeds and resow them from year to year, provided you respect isolation distances from other cabbages. If it still exists more than 160 years later, it is thanks to the gardeners and seedsmen who have continued to grow it.

At Anokian Nature

At Anokian Nature, we grow and preserve heirloom varieties so that they continue to live in local vegetable gardens. The Early White Vienna has its place in a Quebec garden: it loves the coolness of spring and autumn, grows quickly, and is well-suited to Quebec’s cold climate.

Nutritional benefits, vitamins, minerals and traditional uses

The White Vienna kohlrabi is a European heirloom vegetable appreciated for generations for its nutritional qualities.

Naturally rich in vitamin C, it contributes to the proper functioning of the immune system, collagen formation, and the protection of cells against oxidative stress.

It also provides potassium, copper, vitamin B6, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus, as well as small amounts of vitamins B1, B3, and B9, vitamin E, calcium, and iron.

Its dietary fiber promotes intestinal transit and contributes to digestive health. Like other vegetables in the Brassicaceae family, it contains glucosinolates, natural sulfur compounds studied for their biological properties and antioxidant potential.

In European food traditions and folk medicine, vegetables from the cabbage family occupied an important place.

Consumed in soups, broths, or stews, they were considered nourishing and comforting foods, especially during the cold seasons.

Certain folk traditions attributed digestive and fortifying virtues to them. These uses concern cabbages in general, and not specifically the White Vienna. Today, this heirloom vegetable remains valued for its nutritional richness and its place in a healthy and varied diet.

1. Austrian-style creamed kohlrabi (Rahmkohlrabi)

Origin: Austria
Servings: 4
Preparation and cooking: 30 minutes

A classic of Austrian family cooking. The kohlrabi is gently simmered in a creamy sauce and scented with fresh parsley.

Ingredients

3 Vienna white kohlrabis
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
200 ml vegetable broth
125 ml cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg

Preparation

Peel the kohlrabis and cut them into small sticks.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and stir for one minute.
Gradually pour in the broth, then add the kohlrabi.
Cover and let simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Stir in the cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

2. German country-style kohlrabi soup (Kohlrabisuppe)

Origin: Germany
Servings: 4 to 6
Preparation and cooking: 40 minutes

This country-style soup is inspired by vegetable soups traditionally prepared in the German countryside.

Ingredients

2 Vienna white kohlrabis
3 medium potatoes
1 carrot
1 onion
1.2 liters vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter
100 ml cream (optional)
Fresh parsley, salt, and pepper

Preparation

Peel the vegetables and cut them into small cubes.
Sauté the onion in the butter until translucent.
Add the kohlrabi, potatoes, and carrot.
Pour in the broth and let simmer for 25 minutes.
Lightly mash a portion of the vegetables to naturally thicken the soup.
Add cream if desired, season, and garnish with parsley.

3. Viennese-style breaded kohlrabi (Panierter Kohlrabi)

Origin: Austria
Servings: 4
Preparation and cooking: 35 minutes

Inspired by the Viennese tradition of breaded schnitzel, this vegetarian preparation transforms kohlrabi into golden, crispy slices.

Ingredients

2 large Vienna white kohlrabis
2 eggs
75 g flour
120 g breadcrumbs
3 tbsp oil or clarified butter
Salt and pepper
1 lemon

Preparation

Peel the kohlrabis and cut them into slices approximately 1 cm thick.
Blanch the slices in salted water for 5 to 7 minutes, then drain well.
Dredge each slice in the flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs.
Brown over medium heat in a pan with the oil or clarified butter, about 3 minutes on each side.
Serve hot with lemon wedges.

4. Hungarian-style stuffed kohlrabi (Töltött karalábé)

Origin: Hungary
Servings: 4
Preparation and cooking: 1 h 15

Stuffed kohlrabi is a well-known specialty of Hungarian cuisine. It is generally filled with ground meat and rice, then simmered in a dill-scented sauce.

Ingredients

4 medium kohlrabis
300 g ground pork or veal
75 g rice
1 small onion
1 egg
500 ml broth
125 ml sour cream
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Peel the kohlrabis and delicately hollow out the center with a spoon. Save the removed flesh.
Mix the ground meat, rinsed rice, finely chopped onion, egg, salt, and pepper.
Stuff the kohlrabis with the mixture.
Place them in a saucepan with the reserved flesh and the broth.
Cover and simmer gently for 45 to 55 minutes, until the filling is cooked through and the rice is tender.
Remove the kohlrabis. Stir the sour cream mixed with the flour into the broth, then add the dill. Heat gently to thicken and serve with the stuffed kohlrabis.

5. Traditional German kohlrabi and apple salad (Kohlrabisalat)

Origin: Germany
Servings: 4
Preparation: 20 minutes

This salad is inspired by German raw vegetable preparations, which frequently pair fresh vegetables with apples and a light vinaigrette.

Ingredients

2 Vienna white kohlrabis
1 crisp apple
1 small carrot
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Peel the kohlrabis and the carrot.
Grate them coarsely or cut into fine julienne strips.
Cut the apple into thin slices.
Mix the lemon juice, oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
Toss the vinaigrette with the vegetables and apple.
Sprinkle with parsley and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

6. Braised kohlrabi with butter and herbs (Gedünsteter Kohlrabi)

Origin: Germany and Austria
Servings: 4
Preparation and cooking: 30 minutes

A simple preparation that particularly highlights the natural sweetness of kohlrabi, with butter and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

3 Vienna white kohlrabis
3 tbsp butter
125 ml vegetable broth
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh dill
A pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Peel the kohlrabis and cut them into quarters or sticks.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the kohlrabis and sauté gently for 3 minutes.
Pour in the broth, cover, and let braise for 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and let the liquid reduce slightly to coat the vegetables.
Add the herbs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper before serving.

These six recipes are inspired by the culinary traditions of Central Europe. The ingredients and methods have been adapted for modern cooking while retaining the spirit of traditional family dishes.

How to grow White Vienna kohlrabi

The White Vienna kohlrabiis a European heirloom variety particularly well-suited to cool climates and Quebec growing seasons. Known for its rapid growth, tender, white, and slightly sweet flesh, it is easy to grow in the vegetable garden and allows for multiple harvests in a single season.

Unlike traditional cabbages, kohlrabi does not form a head. Instead, it develops a swollen, rounded stem above the ground, pale green in color, which is the main part consumed. This heirloom variety prefers the cool temperatures of spring and autumn. It tolerates light frosts, but periods of intense heat can slow its growth and make its flesh more fibrous.

To obtain beautiful, tender, and tasty kohlrabi, we recommend growing them in soil that is rich in organic matter, loose, fertile, and well-drained. Kohlrabi particularly enjoys soil that maintains constant moisture without being waterlogged.

You can start seeds indoors about 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting to the garden, or sow directly in the ground as soon as the soil is warm enough to be worked in the spring. To extend harvests, we recommend successive sowings every two to three weeks during cool periods.

For autumn harvests, seeds can be sown from mid-July to the end of August in many regions of southern Quebec. The young plants will thus benefit from the return of cooler temperatures at the end of summer.

For spacing, allow for about 10 to 15 cm between each plantand 30 to 40 cm between rows. Place two seeds per hole, then keep only the most vigorous plant after germination.

It is important not to crowd the plants too much to allow their swollen stems to develop uniformly.

Tips and tricks

Kohlrabi enjoys the company of onions, garlic, shallots, and aromatic herbs such as thyme, sage, and dill. These companion plantings help diversify the garden and welcome various beneficial insects.

We also like to grow scented marigolds near vegetables in the cabbage family. Their flowers attract certain pollinating insects and contribute to the biodiversity of the vegetable garden. Their effectiveness against kohlrabi pests, however, is not guaranteed.

To obtain particularly tender and juicy flesh, maintain regular soil moisture. Natural mulch, such as straw or shredded leaves, helps keep the soil cool during hot periods.

The secret to excellent kohlrabi is to harvest it young.White Vienna is particularly tasty when its swollen stem reaches about 5 to 8 cm in diameter, roughly the size of a tennis ball. At this stage, its flesh is generally tender, crisp, and slightly sweet.

Avoid waiting until it becomes too large, as large kohlrabi can develop a more fibrous texture, especially when suffering from a lack of water or excessive heat.

The first light autumn frosts are generally well tolerated by this variety. Cool temperatures promote steady growth and allow for an extended harvest period. In the garden, it does not survive the extreme cold of the Quebec winter. In an unheated greenhouse, however, it can be harvested for a good part of the winter: at our place, we ate it until February.

To reduce the risk of diseases and harmful insects, avoid growing kohlrabi in the same spot as cabbages, broccoli, radishes, turnips, and other Brassicaceae for at least three to four years.

Watch out specifically for flea beetles, which can perforate young leaves in the spring. Using an insect-proof net from the time of sowing or transplanting is an excellent natural protection method.

To store your kohlrabi after harvesting, remove the leaves and place the swollen stems in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, ideally in a container or a perforated bag that limits drying out. They can thus be stored for several weeks depending on their freshness and storage conditions.

Our seeds are vigorous, open-pollinated, and grown in the Quebec climate.

Species: Brassica oleraceavar. gongylodes
Variety:White Vienna
Origin:Central Europe, historically associated with Vienna, Austria.
Indoor sowing:March to April, about 4 to 5 weeks before transplanting.
Direct sowing:April to June, depending on climatic conditions and soil temperature.
For autumn harvests:Sow from mid-July to the end of August in southern Quebec, adapting the dates to your region.
Sowing depth:0.5 to 1 cm
Germination time:5 to 10 days, under favorable conditions.
Ideal germination temperature:15 to 24 °C
Soil:Rich, loose, fertile, humus-rich, and well-drained.
Location:Full sun to light partial shade. Prefers cool temperatures.
Spacing between plants:10 to 15 cm
Spacing between rows:30 to 40 cm
Height at maturity:About 25 to 40 cm, including foliage.
Maturity:About 50 to 65 days after sowing, depending on growing conditions.
Seeds per packet:+/- 100