Chinese Chomping Cabbage

• Type: Magical Plant
• Owners: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (for Herbology lessons)
• Origin: China (implied by name)

A Chinese Chomping Cabbage is a magical plant that, as its name suggests, resembles a mundane cabbage but possesses a mouth and an aggressive, biting nature. In the novels, its appearance is not described in detail, but its behaviour implies it is mobile and capable of inflicting bites. In the Hogwarts Legacy video game, it is depicted as a sentient, green-leafed cabbage with root-like legs that allow it to scurry across the ground. It has a large mouth filled with sharp leaf-like “teeth” which it uses to attack targets (Hogwarts Legacy).

The primary characteristic of the Chinese Chomping Cabbage is its aggressive biting. At Hogwarts, they are studied in Herbology and require careful handling. Students in their third year were required to feed them, a task which Ron Weasley later recalled as being unpleasant due to their biting. Ron also expressed a lack of enthusiasm for a potential career in Herbology if it meant having to “wrestle with Chinese Chomping Cabbages” for a living, suggesting they are physically formidable. In some contexts outside of the novels, they are utilized as offensive weapons. When deployed, they will actively seek out and attack nearby enemies (Hogwarts Legacy).

The Chinese Chomping Cabbage was part of the Hogwarts Herbology curriculum during the 1993-1994 school year. Taught by Professor Sprout, the third-year students, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, were tasked with feeding them. The plant was mentioned again during the 1995-1996 school year when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were discussing their career options with Professor McGonagall in preparation for their O.W.L.s. Ron used the memory of handling the cabbages as a reason for not wanting to pursue a career in Herbology.

The Chinese Chomping Cabbage serves as a world-building element, adding depth and a sense of danger to the subject of Herbology. It illustrates that the subject involves more than just passive gardening and requires students to handle aggressive and potentially harmful magical flora. Its main role in the narrative is through Ron Weasley's recollections, which use the cabbage as a benchmark for difficult or unpleasant school tasks.

• In the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game), Chomping Cabbages feature in a mini-game where the player must throw them into a pen.
• The Chinese Chomping Cabbage plays a significant role in the Hogwarts Legacy (video game). Players can grow their own cabbages from seeds and use them as a combat tool. When thrown, the cabbage will sprout legs, run towards the nearest enemy, and repeatedly bite them.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (video game), Chinese Chomping Cabbages appear as minor environmental obstacles that can be destroyed by the player.