Kale
Template:Short description Template:Other uses Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox cultivar Kale (Template:IPAc-en), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (Brassica oleracea) cultivars primarily grown for their edible leaves, 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.Template:Citation needed 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 kail and German Kohl) for various cabbages. The ultimate origin is Latin caulis 'cabbage'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Cultivation
Derived from wild mustard,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> kale is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms of B. oleracea.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Kale is usually a biennial plant grown from seed with a wide range of germination temperatures.<ref name="cornell">Template:Cite web</ref> It is hardy and thrives in wintertime,<ref name="cornell" /> and can survive in temperatures as low as Template:Convert.<ref name="Munro">Derek B. Munro Template:Googlebooks</ref> Kale can become sweeter after a heavy frost.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
History
Kale originated in the eastern Mediterranean and Anatolia, where it was cultivated for food beginning by 2000 BCE at the latest.<ref name="PerryCoolCrop">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="PerryCoolCrop" /> Records in 14th-century England distinguish between hard-heading cabbage and loose-leaf kale.<ref name="PerryCoolCrop" />
Russian traders introduced Russian kale into Canada and then into the United States in the 19th century.<ref name="PerryCoolCrop" /> USDA botanist David Fairchild is credited with introducing kale (and many other crops) to Americans,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Gastropod Fairchild">Template:Cite web</ref> having brought it back from Croatia,<ref name="Gastropod Fairchild" /> although Fairchild himself disliked cabbages, including kale.<ref name="Gastropod Fairchild" /> At the time, kale was widely grown in Croatia mostly because it was easy to grow and inexpensive, and could desalinate soil.<ref name="Gastropod Fairchild" />
Cultivars
Kale varieties can be differentiated according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, and the variety of leaf types. 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.<ref>Bailey, L. H., (1912, republished in 1975). Jersey kale Photo. In Cyclopedia of American Agriculture: Vol. II--crops Template:Webarchive. Macmillan Publishing, New York. pp. 389–90. Template:ISBN.</ref> 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).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ornamental kale is as edible as any other variety, but potentially not as palatable.Template:Verify source<ref name="Larkcom2003">Template:Cite book</ref> In 2012, Pizza Hut purchased approximately 14,000 lbs of kale for use in salad bar decoration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kale leaves are increasingly used as an ingredient for vegetable bouquets and wedding bouquets.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Uses
Nutrition
Template:Nutritional value Template:Stack begin Template:Nutritional value Template:Stack end
Raw kale is 84% water, 9% carbohydrates, 4% protein, and 1% fat (table). In a Template:Convert serving, raw kale provides Template:Convert 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 carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.<ref name="carotenoids">Template:Cite journal</ref> As with broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, kale contains glucosinolate compounds, such as glucoraphanin, which contributes to the formation of sulforaphane,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> a compound under preliminary research for its potential to affect human health beneficially.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Boiling kale decreases the level of glucosinate compounds, whereas steaming, microwaving, or stir frying does not cause significant loss.<ref name="cr">Template:Cite journal</ref> Kale is high in oxalic acid, the levels of which can be reduced by cooking.<ref name="Armesto">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Kale contains high levels of polyphenols, such as ferulic acid,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> with levels varying due to environmental and genetic factors.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Culinary
Template:AnchorSnack product
Template:See also Kale chips have been produced as a potato chip substitute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Regional uses
Europe
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").<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref>
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").<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kale is considered a Northern German staple and comfort food.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In Italy, cavolo nero kale is an ingredient of the Tuscan soup ribollita.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
A traditional Portuguese soup, caldo verde, combines pureed potatoes, very finely sliced kale, olive oil and salt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref name="lazy">Template:Cite web</ref>
In Ireland, kale is mixed with mashed potatoes to make the traditional dish colcannon.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is popular on Halloween,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref name="Gastropod Fairchild" /> It is now one of the most popular greens in the U.S., and is commonly used in salads and green smoothies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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').<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Cuthbertson, David Cuningham (1945). Autumn in Kyle and the Charm of Cunninghame. London: Jenkins. Page 186</ref>
Gallery
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Curly-leaf kale
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Red Russian kale
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Making kale chips
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A traditional New Years Danish dish: boiled ham, glazed potatoes and stewed kale
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A kale-based dish with other vegetables and sourdough bread, served at a restaurant in Australia
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See also
References
External links
Template:Wiktionary Template:Commons category multi
- Marrow-Stem Kale – Plants for a Future database
- PROTAbase on Brassica oleracea (leaf cabbage)
Template:Brassica oleracea Template:Chips and crisps Template:Scottish cuisine