The Different Types of Kale

Kale is a vegetable that has green or purple leaves from which the central leaves don’t form a head. They thrive well in cold climatic. Also they are used to nourish people during the dark month of year.

A List of Kale Types

Walking stick kale - It’s a type of kale which grow up to six feet and can be used as a walking stick when dried and laminated.

Curly kale - It’s a sweet and mild kale that is likely to be found in bunches at grocery stores. It’s usually bright and dark green or purple in color with fibrous stalk and tight ruffled leaves which is difficult to chop.

Lacinato kale - Also known as dino kale, or dinosaur kale, this kale has a dark blue-green narrow leaves with wrinkled and firm texture. It grows very well on winter climate and most likely to be found in grocery stores.

Siberian/Napus kale - This is a kale that has tender an enormous leaves which are used as a major ingredient in many of salads mixes and it’s grown by many home gardeners and market farmers.

Rashtan kale - It’s a favorite vegetable in Montenegro which is cooked with smoked mutton and potatoes.

Premier kale - It’s a kale that matures very fast and has ability to withstand very cold condition

Kai-lan kale - A commonly used kale in china and Taiwan and it’s commonly mixed with beef dishes.

Red Russians kale - It’s a kale that has red leaf stalk and tender twisting intricate leaves and hard.

Ornamental kale - This type is used for decorative purposes since they are have ornamental leaves with brilliant white, red, pink, blue, lavender or violet colours in the interior of the rosette. Some are used as food.

Kamome red kale - It’s a flowering kale which is often bitter tasting than other varieties

Redbor kale - It’s a dark red kale which walks the line between a food crop and ornamental plants.

Rape kale/hungry gap - It’s a kale type that is grown on winter in traditional agriculture when little else could be harvested.

Jersey kale/cow cabbage - it’s an extra tall variety of kale

Scotch curled kale - It’s a primitive cabbage which is used as source of income to garden farmers

Uses For Kale

  • Tender kale greens can be used to provide an intense addition to salad when combined with other strongly flavored ingredients.
  • Curly kale variety is usually preferred for chips
  • In Netherlands kale are used in traditional winter stamppot dish called boerenkool (a mix of kale and mashed potatoes)
  • Kale may be mixed with mashed potatoes to make tradition dish referred to as colcannon in Ireland.
  • Cavolo nero kale are used in making pork stew.
  • Kai- lan kale is commonly combined with beef dishes.
  • In east African kale are used in making stew for ugali.
  • Kale are also boiled with coconut milk and ground peanut and served with boiled cornmeal or rice
  • Curly kale is used to make a stew of minced boiled kale, stock, pepper, cream and salt and used as a soup with a base of ham broth.
  • Napus and scotch kale are used as a source of income to market farmers.
  • It is cooked with smoked mutton and potatoes in Montenegro.
  • Ornamental kale are used for decorative uses due to variety of colours in their leaves.
  • Kale are used to manufacture kale juice in Japan which is used as a dietary supplement.

Health Benefits of Kale

  • Kale are major sources of vitamin K which is used to protect body against various cancers
  • It is also a source of vitamin C which help in boosting body immune system, metabolism and also help in hydration.
  • Kale are also rich in vitamin A which is good for skin and vision.
  • Kale are also rich in irons that help liver to function properly.
  • Kale contain sulforaphane chemical which has a potent anti-cancer property
  • When combined with other brassica vegetables it acts as a source of indole-3-carbinol chemical which boost the repair of DNA in cells and appear to block the growth of cancer cells.
  • Kale contain resin group known as bile acid sequeatrants used to lower cholesterol and decrease absorption of dietary fat.
  • Kale are good sources of fiber which help in aiding in digestion and intestinal cleaning.
  • The dark leafy ones has a high content of carotenoids which act as a powerful antioxidants protecting human body from degenerative illness for example cardiovascular diseases, cancer and age-related muscular degeneration such as blindness among the aged.

Kale is used as food in various forms by different people of different region ranging from stew to manufacturing of juice. People should increasingly use kale recipes because of the health benefits, such as boosting liver function due to it iron content and cancer protection, and readily available in groceries stores.

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