Kale

Brassica oleracea var. sabellica

leaf · vegetable

A curly, non-heading cabbage with deeply cut leaves, long a winter vegetable of Germany, Scotland, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. 100 g raw provide 93 mg of vitamin C and 254 mg of calcium, with lutein, beta-carotene and vitamin K1.

Origin

Eastern Mediterranean

Season (United States)

October to March · grows in your region

Preparation

The thick ribs are removed if tough; young leaves are eaten whole, even raw. Short steaming keeps its glucosinolates; long boiling carries them off. Most of its goitrogens go with cooking, even a short one.

Molecules

Flavonols (quercetin) · Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Lutein and zeaxanthin · Glucoraphanin → sulforaphane · Glucobrassicin → I3C · Vitamin C · Vitamin K1 · Calcium · ChlorophyllIn small amounts, not counted LignansWhat slows things down Goitrogens

Did you know?

Well known on Roman tables, it was a staple in the Middle Ages, long before coming back into fashion as kale.