Swamp Cabbage Vs Skunk Cabbage: What's The Difference?

Beyond common favorites like broccoli or lettuce, there's an expansive world of vegetables. And despite the increasing availability of grocery options, many ingredients still retain a strong regional flare. Take the offbeat swamp and skunk cabbages, for instance. For those out of the loop, their titles won't inspire an appetite, and their distinctions appear hazy. The differences between the two are further obfuscated by skunk cabbage being sometimes referred to as swamp cabbage.

Yet despite the naming complication, when you dive into the specifics of each plant, their drastic distinctions are revealed. Swamp cabbage is a Florida specialty used in many dishes as the main ingredients. It's a heart of palm variety, and it has a delicious flavor and meaty consistency, so it remains quite common in the state's culinary repertoire. It can be prepared into salads, sauteed as a side, and even served as a dessert. Meanwhile, skunk cabbage doesn't come from a tree — it's a small flowering plant that grows in wet environments. More obscure in the culinary realm, it used to be foraged by Native Americans and early settlers for medicinal purposes. Nowadays, it's more celebrated for flowering in early spring.

Swamp cabbage's name is misleading: The ingredient actually comes from a palm tree. Specifically, the sabal palm (Sabal palmetto), which grows throughout Florida. This tree offers a large and delicious edible section, consisting of young leaves contained deep in the interior of the trunk. The growth of this region is slow, and harvesting its leaves requires killing the tree. Swamp cabbage is often grown agriculturally, but it can also be wild-harvested.

The foodstuff contains protein and nutrients, which makes hearts of palm an excellent meat alternative. The texture boasts a pleasant meatiness but with a subtle crunch. Meanwhile, the flavor is described to be reminiscent of artichoke, sometimes with gentle nutty notes. Swamp cabbage is often eaten fresh, sliced into thin strips. And for easier storage, it's also found canned, which lends it a slightly tangy taste. So while not often prepared nationwide, swamp cabbage is a Florida specialty worth looking out for.

Skunk cabbage is a short flowering plant that thrives in northern wet environments. It comes in two species: The western-growing Lysichiton americanus and eastern Symplocarpus foetidus, which overlap in many characteristics. These plants have the unique capability of generating heat, which helps them produce cylindrical, red-purple or yellow flowers in early spring. The plant then protrudes through an ice or snow cover, making it one of the first to bloom. Further into the growing process, skunk cabbage grows into a broad leafy green.

The vegetable's earliest culinary use dates to when Native Americans foraged for it during food scarcity. Eventually, the plant became known for its medicinal properties and was occasionally sold as a pharmaceutical remedy called "dracontium" during the 19th century. Today, skunk cabbage continues to be sold, but it isn't as prevalent. Instead, its modern use is mostly popular with the foraging community. Individuals find interest in pinpointing and digging up the plant, akin to the intrigue of finding unusual mushrooms that taste like chicken. But as with other foraging practices, remember that there are similar-looking plants that can be deadly.

The culinary usage of skunk cabbage is further complicated due to its abrasive character. As the name suggests, the plant emits a foul-smelling odor from both its leaves and roots. Skunk cabbage also contains a compound called calcium oxalate, which causes an unpleasant mouth irritation when consumed raw. Intensive boiling with baking powder can minimize the plant's aroma as well as make the leaves and roots less harsh.

The two plants grow in unique ecosystems with no overlap — a quality that could explain why their common name rarely causes issues. The sabal palm, also called cabbage palm, lends the swamp cabbage its name and predominantly grows in Florida and a thin sliver of the coast in North and South Carolina and Georgia. It's also found in the Bahamas, and a cousin species grows throughout the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America. In the U.S., cabbage palm is most strongly intertwined with the Sunshine State, with an appearance on the Florida state seal and status as the state tree. Consumed for centuries in the area since pre-colonial times, it's no surprise swamp cabbage packs in such strong regional ties.

On the other hand, skunk cabbage occurs in a more expansive area, naturally occurring in wet environments like marshes, swamps, and near waterways. It's often seen sprouting through snow. The vegetable's range extends from eastern Canadian provinces all the way south to North Carolina. It also grows in the Great Lakes region as well as Minnesota and Iowa. A similar species — which goes by the same common name — thrives throughout the Pacific Northwest into Canada and Alaska. Additionally, you'll find skunk cabbage in far-eastern Siberia, China, and Japan. As with swamp cabbage, skunk cabbage dates back to pre-Columbian consumption and has now fallen into more obscurity.

By way of its strong odor and mouth-burning potential, skunk cabbage has turned into a forgotten culinary ingredient. Even with the several consecutive boils necessary for preparation, skunk cabbage can still cause some mild irritation and an upset stomach. After intensive preparation, the resulting flavor of the finished product vaguely resembles spinach and similar-looking leafy greens. During times of need, the root can be dried and pulverized into a flour while the leaves can be boiled, but it's understandable the vegetable doesn't appear in recipe books.

On the other hand, swamp cabbage is a delicious ingredient that remains a regional favorite in Florida. Most often, it's enjoyed as a side to seafood, braised alongside cabbage, bacon, sausage, and a heavy hand of Creole seasoning. Once heated, the texture of the heart of palm retains a nice bite and the flavor melds well with the spice. Alternatively, the plant also goes into local salads. For example, it's thinly sliced and added to slaw. And another classic, uniquely Floridian creation utilizes swamp cabbage as a dessert. The vegetable is cut thin and mixed in with lettuce, fruits like peaches and pineapple, and dried ginger. The combination is then frozen and topped with scoops of ice cream mixed with peanut butter. After all, heart of palm breathes new life into salads, so don't stop at savory applications when you find a batch.