Gaggetta Cabbage

“Gaggetta” cabbage is grown exclusively in the entire administrative area of the province of Genoa, mainly on the coastal hills of the towns of Lavagna and Chiavari. “Gaggetta” cabbage is a small, light green headed cabbage. Its name, which in the Genoa dialect means “small basket, cage”, is presumed to refer to the small hooded shape.
“Gaggetta” is mentioned in the Genoa dialect-Italian Dictionary, in the appendix to the print believed to be the first complete essay on Genoa cuisine, entitled “La cuciniera genovese” (Genoa cuisine), i.e. the true way to cook Genoa cuisine (by G.B. and Giovanni Ratto). In the text written by Plomteaux (Cultura contadina in Liguria – La Val Graveglia: Rural culture in Liguria – Graveglia Valley), stuffed gaggetta (“pin-ne”) is mentioned as the traditional dish for the feast of St John the Baptist on 24 June.
In the spring harvest it is in the shape of a large, not very compact oval, whereas it is rounder and more compact during the autumn harvest. Its maximum diameter is around the middle of the head. Its exterior is green-medium yellow, while its interior is yellowish. Its leaves are more or less joined to one another and tend to be not very blistered.
The “Gaggetta” is highly prized for its tender leaves, even the outer ones, which have a delicate and persistent flavour. It is largely used in traditional cuisine to prepare stuffed cabbage, but it is often also found in oil preserves.
Gaggetta cabbage was once grown in the area of Chiavari, in Scöggi, where farmers of the district went to collect the seeds to produce the local variety. Today, there are attempts to recover this variety due to the low availability of seeds that have been preserved over time.