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kale
Synonyms: curly kale, borecole
botanical name: Brassica oleracea var. acephala convar. sabellica
Kale stems originally from the Mediterranean area. Today it is common chiefly in northern Germany. Worldwide, it has not attained any great importance. Other than in Germany it is grown in the Scandinavian countries, in the Netherlands, in England and in the USA.
Availability
Fresh kale is available from October to April. From November to February domestically grown produce is sold.
Appearance, taste, characteristics
Kale is a leaf cabbage. On a stalk there are normally curly green leaves, but there are also varieties with purple-green, yellow-green or brown-green leaves. Kale tastes best after the first frost on the field, because with cold temperatures the starch it contains is converted to sugar. The taste is described as spicy and sweet-sour.
Ingredients
Vitamin C, provitamin A (beta-carotene) and calcium are appreciable ingredients of kale. Its content of secondary plant substances, e.g. polyphenols above all quercetin, must also be emphasized. Kale further contains the secondary plant substances lutein and zeaxanthin, which belong to the carotenoids.
100 g contain:
|
Kale, fresh |
Kale, cooked |
Kale, tinned |
|
| Energie (kcal) |
37 |
28 |
25 |
| Wasser (g) |
86 |
89 |
90 |
| Eiweiß (g) |
4 |
3 |
3 |
| Fett (g) |
< 1 |
< 1 |
< 1 |
| Kohlenhydrate (g) |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| Ballaststoffe (g) |
4 |
3 |
3 |
| Vitamin C (mg) |
105 |
42 |
18 |
| Vitamin A (RÄ) (µg) |
862 |
683 |
536 |
| Carotin (mg) |
5,2 |
4,1 |
3,2 |
| Folsäure (µg) |
60 |
26 |
8 |
| Kalium (mg) |
490 |
216 |
122 |
| Natrium (mg) |
42 |
28 |
160 |
| Calcium (mg) |
212 |
177 |
159 |
| Magnesium (mg) |
31 |
17 |
12 |
| Eisen (mg) |
1,9 |
1,3 |
0,9 |
Harmful substances
Kale is one of the vegetables with a rather high nitrate content. One kilogram can contain 10004000 mg of nitrate. The oxalic acid content of kale can be as high as 10 mg per 100 g.
Quality criteria, optimal storage conditions
Yellow, wilted leaves are a sign that the kale has been stored too long and should not be bought. Kale can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Form of consumption, use, processing, practical tips for preparation
Kale is not usually eaten raw, but you have surely already eaten it with smoked cured pork, smoked cured sausage, or bacon. The famous dish kale with Pinkel a strongly smoked sausage is a northern German specialty. Kale stew, kale soup and kale casserole are also worth recommending.
Before kale is cooked it must be washed thoroughly. Earlier, it was normal to cook kale for a very long time; meanwhile the tendency is to shorter cooking times to retain the vitamins. Kale is processed industrially on a large scale as canned and ready-to-cook frozen produce.
Seasoning tip
Garlic, chilli and coriander all go well with kale.
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