Cabbage isn't everyone's favorite vegetable, but this unassuming green veggie is incredibly versatile in the kitchen and packed with fiber and essential vitamins. If you want to cook the tastiest cabbage dish possible and reap these nutritional benefits, you should start with buying a top-quality cabbage.

Cabbage's peak season is from November to April. Look for a head with crisp leaves and no major blemishes or bruises, and if you squeeze the head and it presses inward, it’s not ready yet; also, heads with missing outer leaves indicate that the seller may have ripped off the leaves to make old cabbage appear more fresh.

Your cabbage should also have a bold color, since discolored leaves indicate damage from worms; green cabbage should be almost lime-colored and red cabbage should be bright maroon or purple. Once you've bought a suitable cabbage, keep the head whole until you're ready to use it to keep it fresh.