What is Lacinato kale?
Lacinato kale. It is also known as Tuscan kale, Tuscan cabbage, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, black kale, flat back cabbage, palm tree kale, or black Tuscan palm. Lacinato kale has been grown in Tuscany for centuries, and is one of the traditional ingredients of minestrone and ribollita .
Is Tuscan kale the same as Italian kale?
Tuscan Kale. Once you grow nero di Toscana or Tuscan kale (Brassica oleracea) (also known as lacinato kale, dinosaur kale and palm tree kale) you won’t want to bother with other varieties. It is unfair to pit any other kale against this superior Italian variety: it tastes better, is easier to use, and is extremely resilient.
How do you know when Lacinato kale is ripe?
When you buy Lacinato kale, look for dark blue-green leaves, without brown spots or wilted edges. The stem ends should look recently cut, not brown or dry.
Should you wash Lacinato kale before cooking?
It's important to wash Lacinato kale leaves well before cooking as grit tends to hide in the leaves many bumps and folds. For a small bunch, rinse both sides of each leaf under cold water.
What is the difference between Tuscan kale and lacinato kale?
Lacianto Kale Also known as "Tuscan kale" or "dinosaur kale" due to its dinosaur scale-like look and texture, lacinato kale has got large, flat leaves with a smaller stem than curly kale. Each leaf is dark with a mild flavor, so it's best served sautéed or wilted, which really brings out its depth.
What kale is similar to Tuscan kale?
Tuscan Kale Among them are dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, and black kale. This kale has longer spear-like leaves with a pebbled appearance and a dark, mottled green color. Its flavor is deep and earthy — it's less bitter than curly leafed, with an almost-nutty sweetness.
What is Tuscan kale called?
Lacinato kale goes by many names, including Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale and black kale, from its Italian name "cavolo nero." It has long, dark green, highly textured leaves with a tangy cabbage flavor.
Is dinosaur kale the same as Tuscan kale?
Dinosaur kale is a dark green leafy vegetable. Popular in Italian food, it's also called Tuscan kale or cavolo nero. The leaves are so hearty that, even when well cooked, they retain a wonderful firm texture, making it a great choice for braising or adding to stews.
What can I substitute for Tuscan kale?
The Best Kale SubstitutesCollard Greens. In terms of flavour and texture collard greens are the closest match to kale and can be used interchangeably.English Spinach. ... Baby Spinach Leaves. ... Swiss Chard / Rainbow Chard (Silverbeet) ... Mustard Greens. ... Chinese Broccoli. ... Broccoli Raab / Sprouting Broccoli. ... Turnip / Kohlrabi Tops.
What is lacinato kale good for?
A single serving (one cup) contains more than a day's worth of vitamin A requirement, which is important for eye health and immune function. It is also full of vitamins K, C, and B6 as well as manganese, copper, calcium, and magnesium.
What is the best tasting kale?
Red kale is often considered the sweetest kale, which makes it perfect for eating raw.
What is the healthiest type of kale?
Lacinato kale One study notes that lacinato is high in minerals under-consumed by most Americans, including magnesium and zinc ( 2 ). It's also an excellent source of fiber and vitamins C and K ( 3 ).
Which kale is best for salads?
Tuscan kaleBest kale for a salad: Tuscan kale Tuscan kale! It has a milder, sweeter flavor and is more suited to a salad where you're eating the kale raw.
Is lacinato kale better than regular kale?
Tuscan Kale aka Lacinato Kale aka Dinosaur Kale This is the kale we love to cook—and not cook—the most. It has a deeper color and is slightly thinner and more tender than curly kale, making it more versatile—it cooks more quickly and requires less massaging for use in raw preparations.
How do you get the bitterness out of kale?
Minced garlic, olive oil, and salt are also simple ingredients that can transform the flavor of a bitter kale dish. Cutting the stem of kale and marinating it with olive oil and salt can help reduce bitterness. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours for better tenderness and less bitterness.
Can you eat lacinato kale raw?
Lacinato Kale is a popular vegetable, not just because of its impressive nutritional profile of vitamins and fiber, but because it's an incredibly versatile leafy green. When prepared properly, it's delicious cooked or raw, as an element in soups, and salads, and can even be baked until crispy for kale chips!
Is Tuscan cabbage same as kale?
Cavolo nero (pictured above) is a type of kale also known as black cabbage or Tuscan kale. It is non-hearting with long strap-like leaves similar to savoy cabbage in texture.
What is Toscano kale?
TOSCANO KALE OVERVIEW Lacinato kale - also known as Tuscan or Dino kale, is an Italian heirloom variety known for its striking blue-green color and long, savoyed leaves. Its sweet, nutty flavor intensifies as temperatures dip.
What are the different types of kale?
Check out these seven kale varieties and how to eat them:Common Curly Kale. This is the type of kale you usually see in the grocery store. ... Lacinato Kale (Dinosaur Kale, Tuscan Kale, Cavolo Nero) ... Ornamental (Salad Savoy) ... Red Russian (Ragged Jack) ... Siberian Kale. ... Redbor Kale.
What is the best tasting kale?
Red kale is often considered the sweetest kale, which makes it perfect for eating raw.
Description
Lacinato kale grows 60 to 90 centimetres (2 to 3 feet) tall and has dark blue-green leaves with an "embossed texture"; its taste is described as "slightly sweeter and more delicate [...] than curly kale." The lacinato variety is sometimes called dinosaur kale because its bumpy leaves may resemble what dinosaur skin looked like, and perhaps because the unique appearance of the leaves is evocative of primordial flora.
Preparation and dishes
Lacinato kale, like most other kale varieties, is usually blanched first, and then sautéed with other, flavourful ingredients; in Campanian cuisine, anchovies are often added. It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad.
Cultivation
Lacinato kale dates to the 18th century in Italy. This cultivar is popular among gardeners because of its colour and texture, and was amongst the plants Thomas Jefferson recorded in his 1777 garden at Monticello. The plant grows to a height of two feet, with blistered leaves often over one foot in length each and two to four inches wide.
What is lacinato kale?
Lacinato kale is a dark blue-green, heirloom variety of Kale that has been enjoyed in Italy since the 18th century.
What is the difference between kale and lacinato kale?
Lacinato kale is a cruciferous vegetable among many others (like Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and collards). Its flavorful leaves tend to be sweeter and more delicate than other kale varieties, like curly kale (the most common variety, pictured below), and Red Russian kale.
How to Buy
When you buy Lacinato kale, look for dark blue-green leaves, without brown spots or wilted edges. The stem ends should look recently cut, not brown or dry. Smaller leaves, are more tender and their stems and ribs may need very little if any trimming.
How to Store
Make sure that your Lacinato kale leaves are dry before transferring them to a zip-top plastic bag or grocery store produce bag. Store bunches in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator where they will stay fresh for 5-7 days.
How to Prepare
It's important to wash Lacinato kale leaves well before cooking as grit tends to hide in the leaves many bumps and folds. For a small bunch, rinse both sides of each leaf under cold water.
Should you eat kale stems?
Though kale stems and ribs are edible, but can be tough. They are typically removed by running a sharp knife along the stem and center rib to separate the leaf. (see video / image below for how to cut away the rib and stem).
Can you eat lacinato kale raw?
Lacinato is a great choice for making kale salad. It's best to cut the leaves crosswise into thin ribbons or tear into bite size pieces. Then massage with a pinch of salt or fresh lemon juice to soften and season the leaves before dressing them and adding other ingredients.
What Is Lacinato Kale?
This garden beast goes by many names. Some call it Lacinato, others call it Italian or Tuscan kale.
How to Grow
Easily grown from seed, Lacinato is propagated just like other types of kale. For complete growing guidance, make sure to refer to our kale growing guide.
Cultivars to Select
As I mentioned above, new crosses of Lacinato with other types of kale have been hybridized for home growers, and this category provides many delicious options.
Managing Pests and Disease
Lacinato is delicious – so can you blame the critters who want to make it their lunch, too?
Harvesting
You can harvest cavolo nero when its leaves are small for baby greens, approximately 25-30 days after sowing.
Preserving
While this crop can be left to overwinter in many USDA Hardiness Zones, you can also preserve its long, nutritious leaves for eating over the winter months by freezing, dehydrating, or fermenting them.
Recipes and Cooking Ideas
Lacinato can be used like any other type of kale, but, as I mentioned earlier, I find it much easier to prepare from the garden than other cultivars. It doesn’t have frilly leaf margins where bugs and dirt can hide.
Buying, Cooking, and Recipes
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
What Is Dinosaur Kale?
Dinosaur kale goes by a number of names, including dino kale, Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, black kale, and cavolo nero (Italian for "black cabbage"). It is a member of the cabbage family, but of the leafy variety, with long, palm-like fronds that can grow up to 3 feet long.
How to Cook With Dinosaur Kale
When ready to use dinosaur kale, be sure to rinse the leaves well to remove all the dirt and debris that can get trapped inside the ruffles. The leaves are so sturdy that you don't need to be nearly as careful to avoid bruising and crushing them as with other greens.
What Does It Taste Like?
Dino kale has an earthy, nutty flavor. It doesn't have the same strong bitterness as other varieties of kale, though it is still there. The sweetness helps offset that and makes it more approachable.
Dinosaur Kale Recipes
This green can be used just like any other kale. It's a versatile variety that can work as well in a fresh kale salad as it does in cooked dishes.
Where to Buy Dinosaur Kale
Well-stocked produce markets are the best places to look for dino kale. Its peak season lasts from November through the spring, and it gets sweeter as the season progresses. If you're a big fan, it's also an easy plant to grow at home.
Storage
Store dino kale loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Some people suggest wrapping the stems in moist paper towels and placing it in the crisper. Unlike more tender greens, dino kale doesn't store better if washed first, and it may actually begin to go limp. Put off that task until you're ready to use it.
Curly Kale
Curly kale is the most common-you've likely seen it as decoration on your plate at a restaurant, in salads, and sautéed. But even if it's #basic, curly kale still deserves recognition.
Red (or Red Russian) Kale
Red kale or red Russian kale has a very similar taste to curly kale but-you guessed it!-often has red-hued stems. The leaves are flatter than those of curly kale (resembling arugula leaves) and can be green or gray-green in color. Red kale is often considered the sweetest kale, which makes it perfect for eating raw.
Lacinato (or Tuscan or Dinosaur) Kale
This kale is super dark in color, a bit thinner in texture and appearance, and has wrinkles (but not curls). "Great cooked and raw for salads, but it has thinner leaves so it's easier to eat than other kale sorts, which are tougher," she says. It'll be a bit richer in flavor and chewier than other kales.
Redbor Kale
Redbor kale is a statement-maker: It has a deep purple color and super-curly leaves. But no noshing on raw redbor kale, unless you want a stomachache. "You would want to cook this one since it's dense and needs to be softened in soups or simmered in broth for a great taste," she says.
Baby Kale
Baby kale is one of the easiest kales to find at the store (usually in pre-packaged boxes or bags, near the salad greens) and is also, arguably, the easiest to use.
How to Cook Kale
To prepare kale, cut out the center rib and chop the leaves into ribbons or bite-sized pieces. That center rib is edible, although fairly fibrous. Treat it like celery and chop it into bite-sized pieces to cook with a soup or a sauce. The leaves can be eaten raw, sautéed until wilted, simmered with a soup, or even roasted until crisp.
1. Curly Kale
Curly leafed kale is probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think of kale. The bright-green leaves are sometimes curled so tightly it can be hard to chop them. This kind of kale tends to have a bright, peppery flavor that can become quite bitter.
2. Tuscan Kale
Tuscan kale goes by many names. Among them are dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, and black kale. This kale has longer spear-like leaves with a pebbled appearance and a dark, mottled green color. Its flavor is deep and earthy — it’s less bitter than curly leafed, with an almost-nutty sweetness.
3. Russian Red Kale
I’ve also seen a third kind of kale, Russian Red, popping up here and there at farmers markets and the more gourmet natural food stores. This kale has flat, fringed leaves that resemble oak leaves or large arugula leaves. The few times I’ve had it, I’m reminded of the outer leaves of a cabbage.
Overview
Lacinato kale or, in Italian and often in English, cavolo nero (/ˌkævəloʊ ˈnɛəroʊ, ˌkɑːv-/, Italian: [ˈkaːvolo ˈneːro]; literally "black cabbage") is a variety of kale with a long tradition in Italian cuisine, especially that of Tuscany. It is also known as Tuscan kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, kale, flat back kale, palm tree kale, or black Tuscan palm. Lacinato kale has been grown in Tuscany for centuries, an…
Description
Lacinato kale grows 60 to 90 centimetres (2 to 3 ft) tall and has dark blue-green leaves with an "embossed texture"; its taste is described as "slightly sweeter and more delicate" than curly kale and "slightly bitter [and] earthy". The lacinato variety is sometimes called dinosaur kale because its bumpy leaves may resemble what dinosaur skin looked like, and perhaps because the unique appearance of the leaves is evocative of primordial flora. Because of its taste, it has been called …
Preparation and dishes
Lacinato kale, like most other kale varieties, is usually blanched first, and then sautéed with other, flavourful ingredients; in Campanian cuisine, anchovies are often added. It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad.
In Tuscan cuisine, lacinato kale is often used in ribollita (literally: "reboiled"), a thick, hearty soup made up of ingredients cooked for a meal the day before.
Cultivation
Lacinato kale dates to the 18th century in Italy. This cultivar is popular among gardeners because of its colour and texture, and was amongst the plants Thomas Jefferson recorded in his 1777 garden at Monticello. The plant grows to a height of two feet, with blistered leaves often over 30 cm (1 ft) in length and 5–10 cm (2–4 in) wide. The straplike leaves are typically harvested from the bottom of the stem, leaving the remainder of the plant resembling a palm tree.
External links
• Kale on WH Foods