Kale 571106 225928576 2008-07-16T01:44:35Z Aervanath 2715594 /* References */ fix {{for|other meanings|Kale (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox Cultivar | name = Kale | image = Boerenkool.jpg | image_width = 240px | image_caption = Curly kale | species = ''[[Brassica oleracea]]'' | group = [[Acephala Group]] | origin = unknown, before the [[Middle Ages]] | subdivision = Many, and some are known by other names. }} '''Kale''' or '''Borecole''' is a form of [[cabbage]] (''[[Brassica oleracea]]'' [[Acephala Group]]), green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species ''Brassica oleracea'' contains a wide array of vegetables including [[broccoli]], [[cauliflower]], and [[Brussels sprouts]]. The [[cultivar|Cultivar Group]] Acephala also includes [[spring greens]] and [[collard greens]], which are extremely similar genetically. == Cultivation == [[Image:Kale1.jpg|thumb|right|Freshly picked Siberian kale.]] The most important growing areas lie in central and northern [[Europe]] and [[North America]]. Kale grows more rarely in tropical areas as it prefers cooler climates. Kale is the most robust cabbage type - indeed the [[Hardiness (plants)|hardiness]] of kale is unmatched by any other vegetable. Kale will also tolerate nearly all soils provided that drainage is satisfactory. Another advantage is that kale rarely suffers from [[Pest (animal)|pest]]s and diseases of other members of the cabbage family - [[Dove|pigeons]], [[club root]], and [[cabbage root fly]] (''[[Delia radicum]]''). Places where kale grows are called kalefields. Kale may be the result of [[artificial selection]] for enlargement of leaves in some plant of the [[Brassica|cabbage family]], either wild or already being cultivated. == Nutritional value == {{nutritionalvalue | name=Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt | kJ=117| protein=1.9 g | fat=0.4 g | carbs=5.63 g | fiber=2.0 g | | sugars=1.25 g | iron_mg=0.9 | calcium_mg=72.0 | magnesium_mg=18 | phosphorus_mg=28 | potassium_mg=228| zinc_mg=0.24 | vitA_ug =681 | betacarotene_ug=8173 | vitC_mg=41.0 | pantothenic_mg=0.049 | vitB6_mg=0.138 | folate_ug=13| thiamin_mg=0.053 | riboflavin_mg=0.07 | niacin_mg=0.5 | right=1 | source_usda=1 }} Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory.<ref>[http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38#healthbenefits WHFoods: Kale<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Kale is very high in [[beta carotene]], [[vitamin K]], [[vitamin C]], [[lutein]], [[zeaxanthin]], and reasonably rich in [[calcium]]. Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking [[anti-coagulants]] such as [[warfarin]] are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood which is what the drugs are often attempting to lower. This effectively raises the effective dose of the drug. Kale, as with [[Broccoli]] and other brassicas contains [[sulforaphane]] a chemical believed to have potent anti-cancer properties, particularly when chopped.<ref>[http://health.learninginfo.org/kale.htm]</ref> == Origins == [[Image:Lacinato Kale and Collard Greens.jpg|thumb|right|Lacinato Kale (left) with [[Collard greens]] (right)]] Until the end of the [[Middle Ages]], kale was one of the most common green vegetables in all of Europe. Curly leaved varieties of cabbage already existed along with flat leafed varieties in [[Greece]] in the fourth century BC. These forms, which were referred to by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] as Sabellian kale, are considered to be the ancestors of modern kales. Today one may differentiate between varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, with varying leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green through green, dark green and violet-green to violet-brown. Russian kale was introduced into [[Canada]] (and then into the U.S.) by Russian traders in the 19th century. During [[World War II]], the cultivation of kale in the U.K. was encouraged by the ''[[Victory garden|Dig for Victory]]'' campaign. The vegetable was easy to grow and provided important nutrients to supplement those missing from an ordinary normal diet because of [[Rationing in the United Kingdom|rationing]]<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=485506&in_page_id=1770 World War Two vegetable comes back as 'superfood' | the Daily Mail<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. [[Kai-lan]], a separate cultivar of ''Brassica oleracea'' much used in Chinese cuisine, is somewhat similar to kale in appearance and is occasionally called "kale" in English. == Cultivars == Kale Lutes can be classified by leaf type: * Curly leaved (Scots Kale Lutes) * Plain leaved * Rape Kale Lutes * Leaf and spear (a cross between curly leaved and plain leaved Kale Lutes) * Cavolo nero (also known as black cabbage, Tuscan Kale Lutes, Lacinato and dinosaur Kale Lutes) Because Kale Lutes can grow well into winter, one variety of Rape Kale Lutes is called 'Hungry Gap', named after the period in winter in traditional agriculture when little could be harvested. == Culinary uses == [[Image:Steamed kale and slivered almonds.jpg|thumb|left|Steamed kale and slivered [[almond]]s]] Kale freezes well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavorful after being exposed to a [[frost]]. Tender kale greens can provide an intense addition to salads, particularly when combined with other such strongly-flavored ingredients as dry-roasted [[peanut|peanuts]], [[tamari]]-roasted almonds, or red [[capsicum|pepper]] flakes. In [[the Netherlands]] it is very frequently used in the winter dish [[stamppot]] and seen as one of the country's traditional dishes, called Boerenkool. A traditional [[Portuguese cuisine|Portuguese]] soup, ''[[caldo verde]]'', combines pureed [[potato]]es, diced kale, [[olive oil]], broth, and, generally, sliced cooked spicy [[sausage]]. Under the name of ''couve'', kale is also popular in the former Portuguese colony of [[Brazil]], in ''caldo verde'', or as a vegetable dish, often cooked with ''carne seca'' (shredded dried [[beef]]). When chopped and stir-fried, ''couve'' accompanies Brazil's national dish, ''[[feijoada]]''. Kale is eaten throughout southeastern Africa, typically boiled with coconut milk and ground peanut and served with rice or boiled cornmeal. A whole culture around kale has developed in north-western [[Germany]] around the towns of [[Bremen (city)|Bremen]] and [[Oldenburg]] as well as in the land of [[Schleswig-Holstein]]. There, most social clubs of any kind will have a "Grünkohlfahrt" ("kale tour") sometime in January, visiting a country [[inn]] to consume large quantities of kale, sausage and [[schnapps]]. Most communities in the area have a yearly kale festival which includes naming a "kale king". Curly kale is used in [[Denmark]] and [[Halland]], [[Sweden]], to make (grøn-)[[långkål]], an obligatory dish on the [[julbord]] in the region, and is commonly served together with the [[christmas ham]] (Sweden, Halland). The kale is used to make a stew of minced boiled kale, stock, cream, pepper and salt that is simmered together slowly for a few hours. The traditional Irish dish [[Colcannon]] is made from kale and potatoes. In Scotland, kale provided such a base for a traditional diet that the word in dialect Scots is synonymous with food. To be "off one's kail" is to feel too ill to eat. Kale is a very good source of [[iron#Biological role|iron]], [[calcium]], [[vitamin C]], [[vitamin K]] and [[Carotenoids]] (which provide [[vitamin A]]). In Japan, kale juice (known as ''[[aojiru]]'') is a popular dietary supplement. == Decorative uses == [[Image:Ornamental_Kale.jpg|thumb|left|Ornamental kale in bloom]] Many varieties of kale are referred to as "flowering kales" and are grown mainly for their ornamental leaves, which are brilliant white, red, pink, lavender, blue or violet in the interior or the rosette. Most plants sold as "ornamental cabbage" are in fact kales. Ornamental kale is every bit as edible as any other variety, provided it has not been treated with pesticides or other harmful chemicals. <ref>[http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/686/index.html Detailed information on Flowering Cabbage, Ornamental Kale, Collard, Cole Brassica oleracea var. acephala<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> == Literature == 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). Kale was also mentioned in [[Robert Louis Stevenson|Robert Louis Stevenson's]] novel [[Kidnapped (novel)|Kidnapped]]. Kale becomes the staple food of the families in the Broadway adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank after rats consume their main food stores. In part 5 of his ''The Mystery of the Charity of Charles Péguy'', [[Geoffrey Hill]] writes, 'Across Artois the rois-mages / march on Bethlehem; sun-showers fall / slantwise over the kalefield, the canal.' == References == {{reflist|2}} * Dr [[D.G. Hessayon]] (2003)''The Vegetable & Herb Expert''. Expert Books. ISBN 0-903505-46-0 == See also == * [[Bowen's Kale]] == External links == {{commonscat|Brassica oleracea Acephala}} *[http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/find_lat?LAT=&COM=kale&FAM=&RATING=1 Kale]: Plants For a Future database * [http://everest.ento.vt.edu/~idlab/vegpests/veghosts/greens1.pests.html Pests commonly found on Collards, Kale, Mustard and Turnip] *[http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Brassica+oleracea+headed+cabbage&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Brassica oleracea (headed cabbage)''] *[http://nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20dh.html Detailed nutritional composition of kale]: Nutritiondata.com *[http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/ingredients/kale.php#recipes Veg Box Recipes]: Recipe ideas for cooking kale *[http://iheartkale.blogspot.com I Heart Kale]: Food blog devoted to kale and other seasonal produce [[Category:Leaf vegetables]] [[Category:Brassica]] [[da:Grønkål]] [[de:Grünkohl]] [[es:Col verde]] [[eo:Krispa brasiko]] [[fr:Chou frisé]] [[hr:Raštika]] [[is:Grænkál]] [[nl:Boerenkool (groente)]] [[no:Grønnkål]] [[nds-nl:Mous]] [[ja:ケール]] [[nds:Gröönkohl]] [[pl:Jarmuż]] [[pt:Couve-de-folhas]] [[fi:Lehtikaali]] [[sv:Grönkål]] [[tr:Kara lahana]] [[zh:羽衣甘藍]]