Chinese cabbages, at present, are available all the year round, since they are cultivated in different countries and there are varieties adapted to all the seasons.

Although Chinese cabbages are not well-known in Europe yet, every day they spread more and more. In the Asian countries they are widely consumed throughout the year, and in some places of the Far East it is considered the vegetable that contributes with greater amount of vitamins.

Since it is a fragile and delicate product, its export from these countries is not very frequent; thus, its consumption in Europe is mainly based on its own production. Since there are different varieties, they are produced all the year round, and therefore consumed in any season.

Taking as example the United Kingdom market, we observe the availability of Chinese cabbages in this country, as well as export countries and the weight of the packages depending on the origin.

Origin	Availability in markets of the United Kingdom	Weight of the package
Australia	According to the market demand	Various
Austria	End of September-February	10/15kg
Belgium	May-November	Various
Denmark	According to the market demand	Various
Hungary	According to the market demand	Various
Ireland	June-November	Various
Israel	December-March	10kg
Italy	November-April	15/20kg
The Netherlands	All the year round	7/8kg
Norway	Sporadically	Various
Portugal	January-April	Various
Spain	January-April	Various
United Kingdom
domestic market	June-mid of November	Various
Exterior market	June-mid of November
Warehouse	December
The United States	November-beginning of April	12/13kg

Source: Fresh Produce Desk Book (1998)