Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage ( Brassica oleracea) primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, but it is also used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite a bit in appearance; the leaves can be bumpy, curly, or flat, and the color ranges from purple to green.
Description
Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head, as with
headed cabbage. The stems can be white or red, and can be tough even when cooked.
Etymology
The name
kale originates from Northern
Middle English cale (compare
Scots language kail and German
Kohl) for various
. The ultimate origin is
Latin caulis 'cabbage'.
Cultivation
Derived from
wild mustard,
kale is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms of
B. oleracea.
Kale is usually a biennial plant grown from seed with a wide range of germination temperatures.[Derek B. Munro ] Kale can become sweeter after a heavy frost.
History
Kale originated in the eastern Mediterranean and
Anatolia, where it was cultivated for food beginning by 2000 BCE at the latest.
Curly-leaved varieties of cabbage already existed along with flat-leaved varieties in
Greece in the 4th century BC. These forms, which were referred to by the
Ancient Rome as
Sabellians kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales.
The earliest record of cabbages in western Europe is of hard-heading cabbage in the 13th century.
Russian traders introduced Russian kale into Canada and then into the United States in the 19th century.
Cultivars
One may differentiate between kale varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, along with the variety of leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green to green, dark green, violet-green, and violet-brown.
Classification by leaf type:
-
Curly-leaf (Scots kale, blue curled kale)
-
Bumpy-leaf (black cabbage, better known by its Italian translation 'cavolo nero', and also known as Tuscan cabbage, Tuscan kale, lacinato and dinosaur kale)
-
Sparkly-leaf (shiny and glossy)
-
Plain-leaf (flat-leaf types like red Russian and white Russian kale)
-
Leaf and spear, or feathery-type leaf (a cross between curly- and plain-leaf)
-
Ornamental (less palatable and tougher leaves)
Because kale can grow well into winter, one variety of rape kale is called " Hungry Gap" after the period in winter in traditional agriculture when little else could be harvested. An extra-tall variety is known as Jersey kale or cow cabbage.[Bailey, L. H., (1912, republished in 1975). Jersey kale Photo. In Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: Vol. II--crops . Macmillan Publishing, New York. pp. 389–90. .] Kai-lan or Chinese kale is a cultivar often used in Chinese cuisine. In Portugal, the bumpy-leaved kale is mostly called "couve galega" (Galician kale or Portuguese cabbage).
Ornamental kale
Many varieties of kale and cabbage are grown mainly for ornamental leaves that are brilliant white, red, pink, lavender, blue, or violet in the interior of the rosette. The different types of ornamental kale are peacock kale, coral prince, kamone coral queen, color up kale, and chidori kale.
is as edible as any other variety, but potentially not as
Palatability.
In 2012,
Pizza Hut purchased approximately 14,000 lbs of kale for use in salad bar decoration.
Kale leaves are increasingly used as an ingredient for vegetable bouquets and
.
Uses
Nutrition
Raw kale is 84% water, 9%
, 4% protein, and 1%
fat (table). In a serving, raw kale provides of
food energy and 3.7 times the
Daily Value (DV) of
vitamin K. It is a rich source (20% or more of the DV) of
vitamin A,
vitamin C,
folate, and
manganese (see table "Kale, raw"). Kale is a good source (10–19% DV) of
riboflavin,
pantothenic acid, vitamin B6,
vitamin E, and several dietary minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium (table). Boiling raw kale diminishes most of these nutrients, while values for vitamins A, C, and K and manganese remain substantial (table for cooked kale).
Phytochemicals
Kale is a source of the
,
lutein and
zeaxanthin.
As with
broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, kale contains
glucosinolate compounds, such as
glucoraphanin, which contributes to the formation of
sulforaphane,
a compound under preliminary research for its potential to affect human health beneficially.
Boiling kale decreases the level of glucosinate compounds, whereas steaming, Microwave oven, or stir frying does not cause significant loss.
Kale contains high levels of polyphenols, such as ferulic acid,
Culinary
Snack product
Kale chips have been produced as a
potato chip substitute.
Regional uses
Europe
In the
Netherlands, a traditional winter dish called "
stamppot" is a mix of curly kale and mashed potatoes, sometimes with fried bacon, and served with
rookworst ("smoked sausage").
In Northern Germany, there is a winter tradition known as "Kohlfahrt" ("kale trip"), where a group of people will go on a hike through the woods during the day before gathering at an inn or private residence where kale is served, usually with bacon and Kohlwurst ("kale sausage").
In Italy, cavolo nero kale is an ingredient of the Tuscany soup ribollita.
A traditional Portuguese soup, caldo verde, combines pureed potatoes, very finely sliced kale, olive oil and salt.
In Scotland, kale provided such a base for a traditional diet that the word in some Scots dialects is synonymous with food. To be "off one's kail" is to feel too ill to eat.
In Ireland, kale is mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional dish colcannon.
In the United Kingdom, the cultivation of kale (and other vegetables) was encouraged during World War II via the Victory garden campaign.
Asia
In Sri Lanka, it is known as
kola gova or ela gova. It is cultivated for edible use. A dish called 'kale mallung' is served almost everywhere on the island, along with rice.
United States
For most of the 20th century, kale was primarily used in the U.S. for decorative purposes; it became more commonly consumed starting in the 1990s, mainly due to its nutritional value.
It is now one of the most popular greens in the U.S., and is commonly used in salads and
green smoothies.
In culture
The
Kailyard school of Scottish writers, which included J. M. Barrie (creator of Peter Pan), consisted of authors who wrote about traditional rural Scottish life (
kailyard = 'kale field').
In Cuthbertson's book
Autumn in Kyle and the charm of Cunninghame, he states that
Kilmaurs in
East Ayrshire was famous for its kale, which was an important foodstuff. A story is told in which a neighbouring village offered to pay a generous price for some kale seeds, an offer too good to turn down. The locals agreed, but a gentle roasting on a shovel over a coal fire ensured the seeds never germinated.
[Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London: Jenkins. Page 186]
Gallery
File:Kale-Bundle.jpg|Curly-leaf kale
File:CSA-Red-Russian-Kale.jpg|Red Russian kale
File:20170526-AMS-LSC-0326 (34137217614).jpg|Tuscan kale
File:Making kale chips in Lockport, Illinois.jpg|Making kale chips
File:Kogt skinke brunede kartofler grønlangkål.jpg|A traditional New Years Danish food: boiled ham, glazed potatoes and stewed kale
File:Vegan Stack at Two Mountains (cropped).jpg|A kale-based dish with other vegetables and sourdough bread, served at a restaurant in Australia
See also
External links
