Greater sea kale

Crambe cordifolia

vegetable · root

Young shoots and flower buds cooked like broccoli, fleshy roots tasting of cabbage, raw or cooked.

Origin

Caucasus, Iran and the Himalayas

Where to find it

Outside its mountains, it is only picked in gardens, where it is grown as an ornamental perennial; it is gardeners who taste its shoots.

Season (United States)

March to June

Preparation

The young shoots are picked in spring, and the buds while still tight; they cook for two to three minutes.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Pungent glucosinolates · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

A cousin of sea kale, in the garden it forms a two-meter-high cloud of small white flowers.