Kale (and collards) are considered more like earlier forms of cabbages, less altered by breeding of man, as opposed to "cauliflower, broccoli, and head cabbage" which only have a two-thousand-or-so-year history. Kale and collards are "nonheading cabbages [that] bear the Latin name Brassica oleracea variety acephala, the last term meaning 'without a head.'" The name "kale" is from the Scottish derivative for the Greek and Roman words for the whole grouping of cabbagelike plants(1). Kale is also extremely nutritious and easy enough to grow where it has been widely used during food shortages - plus is very cold-tolerant(2). In fact, it can weather "snow, ice and temperatures as low as 10 degrees below zero" and a hefty frost actually improves the flavor(3). The Greeks and then Romans grew kale and collards; the Romans had several kinds including some with crisped or curled leaves and from mild taste to sharp. It is debated whether the Romans or Celts first took kale to France and Britain, where they have been retained for years since(1).
The Scottish eat a lot of kale to where "kale" is synonymous with "food" and "'off one's kale'" refers to a person unable to eat - the cold tolerance part was huge in the Highlands and a vital reason for its dominance. The Scottish ate it boiled and mashed, including with potatoes(3). In France, kale would eventually become a "lost & forgotten vegetable" that would lose popularity "to parsnips or turnips or sunchokes". A possible reason is believed to be it was about the only food available during the World Wars and lost its appeal(2).
The first definite reference to kale in kale in America was from 1669, though it may have made its way from Europe earlier. Kale and collards don't do as well in the heat, in which they develop a strong, distasteful flavor; collards ended up being the big winter veggie in the South. Collards are themselves very rich in minerals and vitamins and helped nourish many poor Southerners(1).
References:
1. "Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards." Aggie Horticulture: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html.
2. "What's the History of Kale?" The Kale Project. The Kale Project. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. http://www.thekaleproject.com/simple-faqs/whats-the-history-of-kale/.
3. Shea, Bridget. "Kale: The Fascinating Culinary History of Today’s Trendiest Vegetable." The University of Vermont Medical Center. The University of Vermont Medical Center. 27 Oct. 2017. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org/wellness/recipes-wellness/kale-history-recipe/.
The Scottish eat a lot of kale to where "kale" is synonymous with "food" and "'off one's kale'" refers to a person unable to eat - the cold tolerance part was huge in the Highlands and a vital reason for its dominance. The Scottish ate it boiled and mashed, including with potatoes(3). In France, kale would eventually become a "lost & forgotten vegetable" that would lose popularity "to parsnips or turnips or sunchokes". A possible reason is believed to be it was about the only food available during the World Wars and lost its appeal(2).
The first definite reference to kale in kale in America was from 1669, though it may have made its way from Europe earlier. Kale and collards don't do as well in the heat, in which they develop a strong, distasteful flavor; collards ended up being the big winter veggie in the South. Collards are themselves very rich in minerals and vitamins and helped nourish many poor Southerners(1).
References:
1. "Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards." Aggie Horticulture: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html.
2. "What's the History of Kale?" The Kale Project. The Kale Project. 25 Feb. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. http://www.thekaleproject.com/simple-faqs/whats-the-history-of-kale/.
3. Shea, Bridget. "Kale: The Fascinating Culinary History of Today’s Trendiest Vegetable." The University of Vermont Medical Center. The University of Vermont Medical Center. 27 Oct. 2017. Web. 27 Oct. 2021. https://medcenterblog.uvmhealth.org/wellness/recipes-wellness/kale-history-recipe/.
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