Would you know “napa” if you saw it?  It’s a name that is foreign to many Americans, but there’s a good chance that you’ve eaten it before if you’ve dined at our Bellevue Korean restaurant.  This is the cabbage that most kimchi is made out of, as well as the leaf that is frequently used to wrap up morsels of Korean barbecue before putting them in your mouth.  It is popular across much of Asia for its taste, not to mention its many nutritional benefits:

• Napa has an extremely low caloric content, putting it among celery as a zero or negative calorie vegetable.

• Napa is a significant source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

• Napa offers a high dose of vitamin C, and a good amount of vitamin A.  It also features a number of important B vitamins, like folic acid and riboflavin.

• Vitamin K, found a lot in cabbages like napa, plays an important role in the health of your skeletal system. Scientific studies have also shown the vitamin’s potential to protect the brain from damage and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

• Napa contains many important electrolytes and minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and iron.