Lacinato kale
{{Short description|Variety of kale}}
{{use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Lacinato kale
| image = Brassica - Gardenology.org-IMG 0606 bbg09.jpg
| image_caption =
| image_alt =
| genus = Brassica
| species = Brassica oleracea
| group = Acephala group
| cultivar =
}}
Lacinato kale,{{efn|{{IPAc-en|UK|ˌ|l|æ|s|ɪ|ˈ|n|ɑː|t|oʊ|,_|ˌ|l|æ|(|t|)|ʃ|ɪ|-}} {{respell|LASS|in|AH|toh|,_|LATCH|in|-,_|LASH|in|-}},{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/lacinato |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220823231310/https://www.lexico.com/definition/lacinato |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-08-23 |title=lacinato |dictionary=Lexico UK English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press}} {{IPAc-en|US|ˌ|l|ɑː|s|ɪ|-}} {{respell|LAH|sin|-}}.{{Cite Merriam-Webster|lacinato kale|accessdate=13 September 2019}}}} also known as Tuscan kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, kale, flat back kale, palm tree kale, black Tuscan palm,{{cite book|last1=Goin|first1=Suzanne|last2=Gelber|first2=Teri|title=Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F8i3E4emYJIC&q=cavolo+nero+lacinato+kale&pg=PT236|year=2005|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|isbn=9780307547675|page=236}}{{cite book|last1=Thorness|first1=Bill|title=Edible Heirlooms: Heritage Vegetables for the Maritime Garden |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xCobUshBhpoC&q=lacinato+kale+gardening&pg=PA90|year=2009|publisher=Skipstone|isbn=978-1-59485-142-1|page=90}} or, in Italian and often in English, {{lang|it|cavolo nero|i=no}},{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|æ|v|ə|l|oʊ|_|ˈ|n|ɛər|oʊ|,_|ˌ|k|ɑː|v|-}} {{respell|KA(H)V|ə|loh|_|NAIR|oh}},{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cavolo-nero|title=CAVOLO NERO|work=Cambridge English Dictionary|publisher=Cambridge University Press|access-date=13 September 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/cavolo-nero|title=Cavolo nero|work=Collins English Dictionary|publisher=HarperCollins|access-date=13 September 2019}}{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/cavolo+nero |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826080617/https://www.dictionary.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2022-08-26 |title=cavolo nero |dictionary=Lexico UK English Dictionary UK English Dictionary |publisher=Oxford University Press}}{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195392883.001.0001/m_en_us1231481|title=cavolo nero|encyclopedia=New Oxford American Dictionary|edition=3rd|editor-first1=Angus|editor-last1=Stevenson|editor-first2=Christine A.|editor-last2=Lindberg|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2010|isbn=9780195392883|publication-date=2011|via=Oxford Reference|url-access=subscription|access-date=13 September 2019}} {{IPA|it|ˈkaːvolo ˈneːro|lang|small=no}}; literally 'black cabbage'.}} is a variety of kale from the Acephala group of cultivars Brassica oleracea grown for its edible leaves. Lacinato has a long tradition in Italian cuisine, especially that of Tuscany, where it has been grown for centuries,{{cite book|last1=Appleman|first1=Nate|last2=Lindgren|first2=Shelley|last3=Leahy|first3=Kate|title=A16: Food + Wine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1gIWoYep8-kC&pg=PA230|year=2008|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-1-58008-907-4|page=230}} and it is one of the traditional ingredients of minestrone{{cite book|last1=Brennan|first1=Georgeanna|last2=Koons|first2=Todd|last3=Frankeny|first3=Frankie|title=Great Greens: Fresh, Flavorful, and Innovative Recipes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fRBbX-G3XW4C&pg=PA30|year=2003|publisher=Chronicle|isbn=978-0-8118-3907-5|page=30}} and ribollita.
Description
File:tuscankale.jpg garden.]]
Lacinato kale grows {{convert|2|to|3|ft|cm|order=flip|-1}} tall{{cite web|url=http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03040/Tuscan-Kale.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605040057/http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03040/Tuscan-Kale.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-06-05|title=Tuscan Kale - Dr. Weil's Garden}} and has dark blue-green leaves with an "embossed texture"; its taste is described as "slightly sweeter and more delicate" than curly kale{{cite book|last1=Murray|first1=Michael T.|last2=Pizzorno|first2=Joseph|last3=Pizzorno|first3=Lara|title=The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LLFLfbiWpqgC&pg=PA210|year=2005|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7434-7402-3|page=210}} and "slightly bitter [and] earthy".{{cite book|last1=Middleton|first1=Susie|last2=Fink|first2=Ben|title=Fast, Fresh, and Green: More Than 90 Delicious Recipes for Veggie Lovers|url=https://archive.org/details/fastfreshgreenmo0000midd|url-access=registration|year=2010|publisher=Chronicle|isbn=978-0-8118-6566-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/fastfreshgreenmo0000midd/page/166 166]}} The lacinato variety is sometimes called dinosaur kale because its bumpy leaves may resemble what dinosaur skin looked like,{{cite web|url=http://www.farmerd.com/product/575/seeds|title=Lacinato Dinosaur Kale|date=2012-10-30|publisher=Farmer D Organics|access-date=10 October 2012}} and perhaps because the unique appearance of the leaves is evocative of primordial flora. Because of its taste, it has been called "the darling of the culinary world".{{cite book|last=Soler|first=Ivette|title=The Edible Front Yard: The Mow-Less, Grow-More Plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plbMQy5V5I0C&pg=PA49|year=2011|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=978-1-60469-199-3|page=49}}
Preparation and dishes
Lacinato kale, like most other kale varieties, is usually blanched first, and then sautéed with other, flavourful ingredients; in Campanian cuisine, anchovies are often added. It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad.{{cite book|last=Ross|first=Jenny|title=Raw Basics: Incorporating Raw Living Foods Into Your Diet Using Easy and Delicious Recipes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kk2alR8WZ3oC&pg=PA18|year=2011|publisher=Hay House|isbn=978-1-4019-3166-7|page=18}}
In Tuscan cuisine, lacinato kale is often used in ribollita (literally: "reboiled"), a thick, hearty soup made up of ingredients cooked for a meal the day before.{{cite book|last=Dickie|first=John|title=Delizia!: The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nB6NtvQhYDYC&pg=PA285|year=2008|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-7432-7799-0|page=285}}
In Dutch, it is called (as in German) {{lang|nl|palmkool}} or {{lang|nl|palmkohl}}, referring to the palm-like shape with the leaves growing from the stem, especially after the bottom leaves are harvested. In Swedish and Finnish, it is known as {{lang|sv|svartkål}} or {{lang|sv|mustakaali}}, meaning 'black cabbage'.
Cultivation
Lacinato kale dates to the 18th century in Italy. This cultivar is popular among gardeners because of its colour and texture,{{cite book|last1=Staub|first1=Jack E.|last2=Buchert|first2=Ellen|title=75 Exciting Vegetables for Your Garden|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZfSmSmC0WhMC&pg=PA120|year=2005|publisher=Gibbs-Smith|isbn=978-1-58685-250-4|page=120}}{{cite book|last=Ryrie|first=Charles|title=The Country Garden|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vbImwF8GsNsC&q=Lacinato|year=2003|publisher=Reader's Digest|isbn=978-0-7621-0391-1|page=111}} and was amongst the plants Thomas Jefferson recorded in his 1777 garden at Monticello.{{cite book|last=Jefferson|first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Jefferson|editor=Edwin Morris Betts|title=Thomas Jefferson's Garden Book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kDZy5EovSc4C&q=cavolo%20nero%20gardening&pg=PA71|access-date=June 1, 2011|orig-year=1999|year=2002|publisher=Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, UNC Press|isbn=978-1-882886-11-1|page=71}} The plant grows to a height of {{convert|2|ft|cm|-1|order=flip}}, with blistered leaves often over {{cvt|30|cm|ft|0}} in length and {{cvt|2–4|in|cm|0|order=flip}} wide. The straplike leaves{{cite book|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Chris|title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r3IaTHvsFQEC&q=lacinato%20kale%20gardening&pg=PT139|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-61564-052-2|year=2010|page=139}} are typically harvested from the bottom of the stem, leaving the remainder of the plant resembling a palm tree.
Notes
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