Kale

Kale plants have green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form a head (as with headed cabbage).{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} The stems can be white or red, and can be tough even when cooked.

The name kale originates from Northern Middle English cale (compare Scots kail and German Kohl) for various cabbages. The ultimate origin is Latin caulis 'cabbage'.{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kale|title=Kale|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper|date=2016|access-date=16 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911152535/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kale|archive-date=11 September 2016}}{{Cite web |title=Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards |url=https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=aggie-hort.tamu.edu}}

Derived from wild mustard,{{Cite web |last=Facts |first=Best Food |date=2017-04-26 |title=Food Facts: Broccoli's Wild Roots {{!}} BestFoodFacts.org |url=https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/food-facts-broccolis-wild-roots/ |access-date=2023-06-29 |website=Best Food Facts |language=en-US}} kale is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms of B. oleracea.{{cite book |last=Tomar |first=BS |url={{GBurl|id=U8oa31v1LVMC|p=149}} |title=VK Science – Biology |publisher=FK Publications |isbn=978-81-88597-06-2 |page=149 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617184829/https://books.google.com/books?id=U8oa31v1LVMC&pg=PA149 |archive-date=17 June 2016 |url-status=live}}

Kale is usually a biennial plant grown from seed with a wide range of germination temperatures.{{cite web|url=http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene57dc.html|title=Growing guide for kale|date=2006|publisher=Cornell University, Ithaca, NY|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104123947/http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening/scene57dc.html|archive-date=4 November 2016|url-status=live|access-date=7 November 2016}} It is hardy and thrives in wintertime, and can survive in temperatures as low as {{convert|-15|C|F}}.Derek B. Munro {{googlebooks|z_yezcnaUHQC|Vegetables of Canada|page=120}} Kale can become sweeter after a heavy frost.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/taylorsguidetohe00benj|url-access=registration|quote=kale frost.|title=Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables|last1=Watson|first1=Benjamin|date=1996|publisher=Houghton Mifflin|isbn=978-0-395-70818-7|location=Boston|page=[https://archive.org/details/taylorsguidetohe00benj/page/200 200]}}

File:Kids harvesting kale.jpg|alt=]]

Kale originated in the eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia, where it was cultivated for food beginning by 2000 BCE at the latest.{{cite web |last1=Perry |first1=Leonard |title=Interesting cool crops |url=https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/cabbage.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619121044/https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/cabbage.html |archive-date=2022-06-19 |access-date=5 June 2018 |website=University of Vermont Extension, Department of Plant and Soil Science}} 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 Romans as Sabellian 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. Records in 14th-century England distinguish between hard-heading cabbage and loose-leaf kale.

Russian traders introduced Russian kale into Canada and then into the United States in the 19th century. USDA botanist David Fairchild is credited with introducing kale (and many other crops) to Americans,{{cite news |last=Diamond |first=Anna |date=January 2018 |title=America's First "Food Spy" Traveled the World Hunting for Exotic Crops |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/smalltalk_fairchild-180967508/ |access-date=5 June 2018 |work=Smithsonian}}{{cite web |last1=Graber |first1=Cynthia |last2=Twilley |first2=Nicola |title=Meet the Man Who Found, Finagled, and Ferried Home the Foods We Eat Today |url=https://gastropod.com/transcript-meet-the-man-who-found-finagled-and-ferried-home-the-foods-we-eat-today/ |access-date=5 June 2018 |website=Gastropod}} having brought it back from Croatia, although Fairchild himself disliked cabbages, including kale. At the time, kale was widely grown in Croatia mostly because it was easy to grow and inexpensive, and could desalinate soil.

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)

File:Ornamental Kale.jpg

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 [https://books.google.com/books?id=VtuQyY88CEsC Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: Vol. II--crops] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427220300/https://books.google.com/books?id=VtuQyY88CEsC&printsec=frontcover&sig=9rT_B0dkatElsxyFJ1O7-hXiJ7I&source=gbs_book_other_versions_r&cad=3_1 |date=27 April 2016 }}. Macmillan Publishing, New York. pp. 389–90. {{ISBN|0-405-06762-3}}. 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).{{cite web|title=Couve Galega (Portuguese Cabbage)|url=https://myfolia.com/plants/82828-couve-galega-portuguese-cabbage-brassica-oleracea-acephala|publisher=myfolia.com|access-date=3 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828011109/https://myfolia.com/plants/82828-couve-galega-portuguese-cabbage-brassica-oleracea-acephala|archive-date=28 August 2017}}

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.garden.eco/ornamental-kale-edible|title=Is Ornamental Kale Edible? Yes, But Not That Tasty|date=2017-12-14|work=Garden.eco|access-date=2018-03-02|language=en-US}} Ornamental kale is as edible as any other variety, but potentially not as palatable.{{verify source|date=November 2020}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SsQ8XBJkGG8C&pg=PA30|title=The Organic Salad Garden|last=Larkcom|first=Joy|date=1 June 2003|publisher=frances lincoln ltd|isbn=978-0-7112-2204-5|pages=30–32|access-date=30 August 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629165158/http://books.google.com/books?id=SsQ8XBJkGG8C&pg=PA30|archive-date=29 June 2014}} Kale leaves are increasingly used as an ingredient for vegetable bouquets and wedding bouquets.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11965704/Kale-broccoli-and-cabbage-replace-traditional-flowers-as-brides-opt-for-vegetable-wedding-bouquets.html|title=Kale, broccoli and cabbage replace traditional flowers as brides opt for vegetable wedding bouquets|last=Jamieson|first=Sophie|date=30 October 2015|work=The Telegraph|access-date=25 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318172601/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11965704/Kale-broccoli-and-cabbage-replace-traditional-flowers-as-brides-opt-for-vegetable-wedding-bouquets.html|archive-date=18 March 2017|url-status=live}}

{{Nutritional value

| name = Kale, raw

| water = 84.0 g

| kJ = 207

| protein = 4.3 g

| fat = 0.9 g

| carbs = 8.8 g

| fiber = 3.6 g

| sugars = 2.3 g

| calcium_mg = 150

| iron_mg = 1.5

| magnesium_mg = 47

| phosphorus_mg = 92

| potassium_mg = 491

| sodium_mg = 38

| zinc_mg = 0.6

| manganese_mg = 0.66

| selenium_ug = 0.9

| vitC_mg = 120

| thiamin_mg = 0.11

| riboflavin_mg = 0.13

| niacin_mg = 1.0

| pantothenic_mg = 0.9

| vitB6_mg = 0.27

| folate_ug = 141

| vitA_ug = 241

| lutein_ug = 6261

| choline_mg = 0.8

| vitE_mg = 1.54

| vitK_ug = 390

| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/323505/nutrients Full Link to USDA Database entry]

}}

{{stack begin}}

{{Nutritional value

| name = Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt

| water = 91.2 g

| kJ = 117

| protein = 1.9 g

| fat = 0.4 g

| carbs = 5.63 g

| fiber = 2 g

| sugars = 1.25 g

| calcium_mg = 72

| iron_mg = 0.9

| magnesium_mg = 18

| phosphorus_mg = 28

| potassium_mg = 228

| sodium_mg = 23

| zinc_mg = 0.24

| manganese_mg = 0.416

| selenium_ug = 0.9

| vitC_mg = 41

| thiamin_mg = 0.053

| riboflavin_mg = 0.07

| niacin_mg = 0.5

| pantothenic_mg = 0.05

| vitB6_mg = 0.138

| folate_ug = 13

| vitA_ug = 146

| lutein_ug = 4983

| choline_mg = 0.4

| vitE_mg = 0.85

| vitK_ug = 418

| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/326196/nutrients Full link to USDA database entry]

}}

{{stack end}}

Raw kale is 84% water, 9% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 1% fat (table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=on|frac=2}} serving, raw kale provides {{convert|207|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} 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).

Kale is a source of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.{{cite journal|year=2015|title=Variation in Carotenoid Content of Kale and Other Vegetables: A Review of Pre- and Post-harvest Effects|journal=J Agric Food Chem |volume=63 |issue=28 Oct|pages=9677–82|doi=10.1021/acs.jafc.5b03691|pmid=26477753|vauthors=Walsh RP, Bartlett H, Eperjesi F}} As with broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, kale contains glucosinolate compounds, such as glucoraphanin, which contributes to the formation of sulforaphane,{{cite journal|year=1999|title=Variation of glucosinolates in vegetable crops of Brassica oleracea |journal=J Agric Food Chem |volume=47 |issue=4|pages=1541–8|doi=10.1021/jf980985s|pmid=10564014|vauthors=Kushad MM, Brown AF, Kurilich AC, Juvik JA, Klein BP, Wallig MA, Jeffery EH}} a compound under preliminary research for its potential to affect human health beneficially.{{cite journal|last2=Fassett|first2=R. G.|last3=Coombes|first3=J. S.|year=2013|title=Sulforaphane: Translational research from laboratory bench to clinic|journal=Nutrition Reviews |volume=71|issue=11|pages=709–26|doi=10.1111/nure.12060|pmid=24147970|last1=Houghton|first1=C. A.|doi-access=free}}

Boiling kale decreases the level of glucosinate compounds, whereas steaming, microwaving, or stir frying does not cause significant loss.{{cite journal |last2=Verkerk|first2=R |last3=Widianarko|first3=B |last4=Dekker|first4=M |year=2015|title=A mechanistic perspective on process-induced changes in glucosinolate content in Brassica vegetables: A review |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |volume=55|issue=6|pages=823–38 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2012.688076 |pmid=24915330 |last1=Nugrahedi|first1=P. Y.|s2cid=25728864 }} Kale is high in oxalic acid, the levels of which can be reduced by cooking.{{cite journal | last1=Armesto | first1=Jorge | last2=Gómez-Limia | first2=Lucía | last3=Carballo | first3=Javier | last4=Martínez | first4=Sidonia | title=Effects of different cooking methods on the antioxidant capacity and flavonoid, organic acid and mineral contents of Galega kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala cv. Galega) | journal=International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition | volume=70 | issue=2 | date=23 July 2018 | issn=0963-7486 | doi=10.1080/09637486.2018.1482530 | pages=136–149|pmid=30037287| s2cid=51712893 }}

Kale contains high levels of polyphenols, such as ferulic acid,{{Cite journal |last1=Korus|first1=Anna |last2=Lisiewska|first2=Zofia |title=Effect of preliminary processing and method of preservation on the content of selected antioxidative compounds in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) leaves |journal=Food Chemistry |volume=129 |issue=1 |pages=149–154 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.04.048 |year=2011}} with levels varying due to environmental and genetic factors.{{Cite journal |last1=Zietz|first1=Michaela |last2=Weckmüller|first2=Annika |last3=Schmidt|first3=Susanne |last4=Rohn|first4=Sascha |last5=Schreiner|first5=Monika |last6=Krumbein|first6=A |last7=Kroh|first7=Lothar W |title=Genotypic and Climatic Influence on the Antioxidant Activity of Flavonoids in Kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=58|issue=4 |pages=2123–2130 |year=2010 |doi=10.1021/jf9033909 |pmid=20095605}}

{{See also|Veggie chips}}

Kale chips have been produced as a potato chip substitute.{{cite news | title=A kid-friendly potato chip alternative | newspaper=The Washington Post| date=23 June 2015 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/a-kid-friendly-potato-chip-alternative/2015/06/23/de383eba-0fc2-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html | access-date=2 April 2017 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402165954/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/a-kid-friendly-potato-chip-alternative/2015/06/23/de383eba-0fc2-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html | archive-date=2 April 2017 }}

In the Netherlands, a traditional winter dish called "boerenkoolstamppot" is a mix of curly kale and mashed potatoes, sometimes with fried bacon, and served with rookworst ("smoked sausage").{{cite book | last=Harvard Student Agencies | first=Inc. | title=Let's Go Paris, Amsterdam & Brussels: The Student Travel Guide | publisher=Avalon Travel Publishing | series=Let's go travel guide | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-61237-028-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GTRKAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT503 | access-date=2 April 2017 | page=503 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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").{{cite web |title=Bremen's unique tradition {{!}} European Traveler |url=http://europeantraveler.net/archives/attractions/attractions-kohlfarht.php |website=europeantraveler.net |access-date=24 February 2020 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328123750/http://europeantraveler.net/archives/attractions/attractions-kohlfarht.php |url-status=dead }} Kale is considered a Northern German staple and comfort food.{{cite news |last1=Gorman |first1=Louise |title=On the kale tour trail in Germany, schnapps in hand |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/04/08/kale-tour-trail-germany-schnapps-hand |access-date=24 February 2020 |work=sbs.com.au |date=11 April 2016 |language=en}}

In Italy, cavolo nero kale is an ingredient of the Tuscan soup ribollita.{{cite book | last1=Gray | first1=R. | last2=Rogers | first2=R. | title=The River Cafe Cookbook | publisher=Ebury Publishing | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4464-6035-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=INFnzXj81-QC&pg=PT80 | access-date=2 April 2017 | page=pt80}}

A traditional Portuguese soup, caldo verde, combines pureed potatoes, very finely sliced kale, olive oil and salt.{{cite book | title=The Illustrated Cook's Book of Ingredients | publisher=DK Publishing | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-7566-7673-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TZdT_Kndq_8C&pg=PA193 | access-date=2 April 2017 | page=193}} Additional ingredients can include broth and sliced, cooked spicy sausage.

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.{{cite web|title=THE LAZY GARDENER 'Off one's kail' you'll be if you eat these winter beauties|url=http://blog.chron.com/lazygardener/2009/12/off-ones-kail-youll-be-if-you-eat-these-winter-beauties/|date=4 December 2009|access-date=3 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827213151/http://blog.chron.com/lazygardener/2009/12/off-ones-kail-youll-be-if-you-eat-these-winter-beauties/|archive-date=27 August 2017}}

In Ireland, kale is mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional dish colcannon.{{cite book | last1=Wise | first1=V. | last2=Hawken | first2=S. | title=The Gardeners' Community Cookbook | publisher=Workman Pub. | year=1999 | isbn=978-0-7611-1772-8 | url=https://archive.org/details/gardenerscommuni0000wise | url-access=registration | access-date=2 April 2017 | page=[https://archive.org/details/gardenerscommuni0000wise/page/276 276]}} It is popular on Halloween,{{cite book | last=Rogers | first=N. | title=Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-19-516896-9 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=stWZ_UDteMIC&pg=PA47 | access-date=2 April 2017 | page=47 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502070117/https://books.google.com/books?id=stWZ_UDteMIC | archive-date=2 May 2016 }} when it may be served with sausages.

In the United Kingdom, the cultivation of kale (and other vegetables) was encouraged during World War II via the Dig for Victory campaign.{{cite news |last1=Titchmarsh |first1=Alan |date=3 May 2015 |title=Land army: Alan Titchmarsh on how gardening became essential for survival during wartime |url=http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/574261/Gardening-during-wartime |access-date=5 August 2017 |work=The Express}} The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients missing from a diet because of rationing.{{cite web |date=15 August 2014 |title=Kitchen Memories |url=http://www.nww2m.com/category/kitchen-memories/ |access-date=24 August 2020 |website=The National WWII Museum Blog |publisher=National WWII Museum}}

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.

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.{{cite web |last1=Austin |first1=Daryl |title=Kale is one of the most popular greens today. But is it healthy? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/03/is-kale-good-for-you/77932089007/ |website=USA TODAY}}{{cite web |last1=Uyehara |first1=Mari |title=The 10th Anniversary of the Kale Salad as We Know It |url=https://tastecooking.com/10th-anniversary-kale-salad-know/ |website=TASTE |date=24 October 2017}}

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').{{cite web|last1=Scott|first1=Maggie|title=Scots Word of the Season: Kailyard|url=http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/SWE/TBI/TBIIssue4/Kailyard.html|publisher=arts.gla.ac.uk|access-date=13 June 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202727/http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/ScotLit/ASLS/SWE/TBI/TBIIssue4/Kailyard.html|archive-date=3 March 2016}} 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

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 dish: 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

• Bowen's Kale
• Crambe maritima – sea kale
• Leaf vegetable
• Kalettes
• Cabbage
• Swiss chard
• Mustard greens

{{Clear}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wiktionary|kale}}

{{Commons category multi|Brassica oleracea var. viridis|Brassica oleracea var. sabellica}}

• [http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Brassica+oleracea+medullosa Marrow-Stem Kale] – Plants for a Future database
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170202001030/http://www.prota4u.org/protav8.asp?h=M5&t=kale&p=Brassica+oleracea+%28leaf+cabbage%29#VernacularNamesOthers PROTAbase on Brassica oleracea (leaf cabbage)]

{{Brassica oleracea}}

{{Chips and crisps}}

{{Scottish cuisine}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q45989}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Brassica oleracea

Category:Leaf vegetables