Data source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, FDC 168421 (Kale, raw).
Fun facts
- Kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and kohlrabi are all the same plant species. Farmers bred them over generations to grow different parts: kale kept its leaves, kohlrabi grew a fat stem.
- 100g of raw kale holds about 93mg of vitamin C. An orange has about 53mg. One big handful of kale salad covers what a large orange gives you.
- Kale has about 254mg of calcium per 100g, more than 100g of whole milk (about 113mg). It also brings 241µg of vitamin A and 4.1g of fiber.
- All of that for about 35 kcal. A heaping bowl of kale is still lighter than half a bowl of rice.
Choosing and storing
Pick bunches with firm, deep green leaves and no yellow edges or wilting. Smaller leaves tend to be softer and less bitter than big ones. At home, wrap kale in a dry paper towel, bag it and keep it in the crisper drawer for 4 to 5 days. Wash it only right before cooking so the leaves do not go soggy.
Cooking it well
The center rib is tough, so strip it off and tear the leaves into bite size pieces. To eat it raw, add a little oil and salt and massage for 1 to 2 minutes: the leaves soften and lose most of their bitterness. A quick stir fry on high heat or a few minutes in soup is plenty, since long cooking costs a lot of vitamin C. We wrote a whole piece on what is in kale. At kOBE, our Kale Bóp Mè is kale massaged with sesame oil and toasted sesame, Korean namul style, at about 78 kcal and 4g of protein per 100g, in our ready ingredients.
