Here’s everything you need to know about the similarities and differences between kohlrabis and potatoes and why both are great crops.
Comparing Kohlrabi vs. Potato
The Key Differences Between Kohlrabi and Potato
While you can find both kohlrabi and potatoes growing underground or stored safely away in root cellars, they’re unrelated. Kohlrabi is often compared to a cross between cabbage and turnip, though it’s not a root vegetable. It is crunchy, similar to cabbage or broccoli stems. Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables on the planet. While kohlrabi is in the cabbage family, potatoes are a type of root vegetable known as a tuber. Potatoes are crunchy and inedible when raw but soft, creamy, and fluffy when cooked. Another key difference between kohlrabi and potato is their point of origin. Kohlrabi is European, while potatoes are one of the oldest-known vegetables in the Americas.
Kohlrabi vs. Potato: Classification
Kohlrabi is classified as Brassica oleracea, the same species as cabbage, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables. The differentiation is in the variety, gongylodes, which translates to “roundish.” Potato is classified as Solanum tuberosum, a tuber in the nightshade family, which it shares with tomatoes and eggplants. There are thousands of potato cultivars.
Kohlrabi vs. Potato: Origin
Potatoes originated in the Americas, ranging from Canada down to Peru. Potatoes were domesticated by the Indigenous people of North America before colonization. Records of domesticated potatoes date back as far as 10,000 BCE as a preferred crop for the Inca people of Peru and Bolivia. Kohlrabi is a European vegetable. The earliest records indicate that kohlrabi was originally cultivated in Northern Europe during the 1500s. The name is German, stemming from the words “Kohl,” translating to “cabbage” and “Rabi” meaning “turnip.” The kohlrabi is shaped like a turnip with the color and texture of a cabbage, earning it the very creative moniker “turnip cabbage.”
Kohlrabi vs. Potato: Description
The kohlrabi vegetable is round and similar in shape to a turnip. It grows up to 6 inches in diameter with a waxy, light green, or purple color. Both the light green (often called “white”) and purple varieties have a light green interior. The leaves grow directly from the bulb, reaching up to 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide, with white blossoms at peak season. Potato plants share similar features, growing up to three feet tall with a proportionate span and robust, leafy foliage. The plants bloom in shades of white, purple, and yellow when the tubers are ready to harvest. The taste and texture of Kohlrabi is similar to cabbage, though milder with a higher ratio of edible root to leaves. Potatoes are tough, juicy, and crunchy when raw, becoming soft, creamy, and fluffy when baked, boiled, or mashed. There are differences in texture and presentation based on variety and cooking styles.
Kohlrabi vs. Potato: Uses
Both kohlrabi and potatoes have been used for centuries as nourishing food sources. Their easy growing habits and high nutrient value make them ideal crops. Due to its crunchy texture and presentation, kohlrabi is often used in slaws and salads. It can also be sauteed, added to soups, or roasted and served as a side. Potatoes are incredibly versatile, with presentations ranging from mashed potatoes to French fries. There are hundreds of ways to prepare potatoes as an ingredient or a side.
Kohlrabi vs. Potato: Growth Tips
Potatoes grow from cuttings rather than seeds. Plant potato cuttings with eyes (sprouts) facing up and cut-side facing down after the risk of frost has passed. Like kohlrabi, potatoes are resilient plants and thrive in USDA Zones 3-10. Plant in full sun and water frequently. Harvest early while flowers are blooming for new potatoes with thin peels or after the blooms have faded for fully mature tubers. Kohlrabi is a cold-resistant vegetable with a significant geographic hardiness range (USDA Zones 2-11). Plant seeds directly in the soil after the ground thaws — no need to wait for the risk of frost to pass. Plant in an area that gets full sun. Space seedlings as they grow to provide ample room for growth, ideally 12 inches between plants. Assessing the size of the kohlrabi is the best way to determine readiness. Store in a root cellar or dark, dry cabinet until use.
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