# When and why did kale go from garnish/decoration to superfood? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [July 21, 2025, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139 "2025-07-21T10:35:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/41 "2025-08-06T11:50:18Z")
My favorite (and only) kale related factoid is that the country’s largest user of kale, for decades, was Pizza Hut. When they used to have a big salad bar, everything was kept cool with ice, and the ice was covered in kale to keep it pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/42 "2025-08-06T11:55:23Z")
But you are making an unsubstantiated claim. Any nutrients lost from the kale are gained by the broth. Net loss is low. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/43 "2025-08-06T12:01:33Z")
Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking. Most nutrients survive cooking, though. Anyway, i find raw kale to be tough and bitter and really unpleasant to eat, and I’m shocked to find it has so many fans. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/44 "2025-08-06T12:02:04Z")
Well, some is gained by the broth, but some nutrients are denatured, so it’s still a net loss. And if you’re cooking it in such a way that you’re discarding the broth (you know, like how most Americans used to think was the only proper way to cook vegetables), then it’s a big loss. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/45 "2025-08-06T12:13:03Z")
I like kale on a sandwich, especially with a nice mustard and good cheese. It gives a sandwich a more complex flavor than lettuce. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/46 "2025-08-06T12:14:33Z")
Kale chips are easy to make and delicious. Basically, a thin oil and salt delivery device, but I imagine it retains a lot of its nutrients. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/47 "2025-08-06T13:15:14Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Any nutrients lost from the kale are gained by the broth Simply not true. I’m in the process of moving and without my home library. I’ll get back to you once I have the time and resources. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/48 "2025-08-06T13:17:15Z")
FWIW, large, old kale leaves are pretty bitter and tough. I have no problems with them, personally. But young, fresh-off-the-plant leaves are WAY more tender and mild. A toddler would love them. You’ll have to grow your own to get them, though, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/49 "2025-08-06T13:30:05Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Anyway, i find raw kale to be tough and bitter and really unpleasant to eat, and I’m shocked to find it has so many fans. I’m a little surprised, too, as it has been the butt of jokes since it came on the national scene. I admit, I was wary of kale myself at first, even though I like greens in general, probably because everybody was making fun of it, but then I had it in one of those bagged salads and found out I actually really quite like it. So much so, that my favorite bagged salad (not that I get bagged salad much) is the kale variety. Then I discovered caldo verde, I believe from **Chefguy** here, and I’ve been sold ever since. I think I slightly prefer chard overall when it comes to the greens, but kale is close behind, and different enough that it’s a bit apples-to-oranges. ---
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/50 "2025-08-06T15:18:37Z")
This thread is reminding me that I used to make kale chips regularly - I’d usually make half “plain” and half dipped in a paste of nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” coating. It was time consuming but they were so good! Now that I’m retired I’ve got plenty of time - they’re coming back! Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/51 "2025-08-06T16:01:01Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > It’s common to cook greens too long. I would’ve thought some ol’Mother long ago would’ve realized it wasn’t needed to make them palatable. > > On the other hand maybe it was the pot liquor they were after. And/or, generations back, the field was fertilized with relatively fresh manure, sometimes human; and “boil/cook all leaf vegetables really well”, or maybe “all vegetables”, got ingrained into the cooking style and continued to be passed down after the need for it was gone. Plus which, a) not all nutrients are destroyed by boiling; and b) as has been pointed out, a lot of them just wind up in the cooking water, so if you use that you get a lot of them back. (I like almost all vegetables cooked only briefly, myself.) > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking. Not entirely. There’s a significant amount left even in well-boiled potatoes. They only lose about a third of it. [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170026/nutrients](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170026/nutrients) (raw) [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170438/nutrients](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170438/nutrients) (boiled; adding salt doesn’t change the Vitamin C amount) > [@Toxylon](#): > > young, fresh-off-the-plant leaves are WAY more tender and mild. A toddler would love them. You’ll have to grow your own to get them, though, it seems You might try a farmers’ market; while even there they’re often sold full size, some vendors will bring baby kale near the beginning of their season. And if customers keep asking for it, more of them will. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/52 "2025-08-06T16:06:34Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking. > > Not entirely. There’s a significant amount left even in well-boiled potatoes. They only lose about a third of it. If you steam it, you probably only lose about 11%: [https://www.emerald.com/nfs/article-abstract/43/5/438/303865/Effects-of-different-cooking-methods-on-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext](https://www.emerald.com/nfs/article-abstract/43/5/438/303865/Effects-of-different-cooking-methods-on-the?redirectedFrom=fulltext) Of course, one notes that you only really need to hardcore maximize your nutrients if you’re avoiding particular food types. If you hate green foods, in general, then maybe it makes sense to try and force some raw or steamed kale into your body. But if you’re happy eating any old salad, mixing greens into your soups, chomping on kale chips, and are overall filling up 1/4th-1/3rd of your plate with non-grain vegetable matter at every meal, then it’s really probably not a concern. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/53 "2025-08-06T16:10:44Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > f you steam it, you probably only lose about 11% And even less if you bake them: [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170112/nutrients](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170112/nutrients) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/54 "2025-08-06T16:43:30Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking. There is slightly more vitamin C in a cup of cooked kale than in a cup of raw kale. Simply just because there is a lot more kale in that cup. Yes cooking destroys a large portion of it … and it is concentrated more than enough to offset it. Thus tons more fiber per cup and many of the other nutrients. Kale is arguably more nutritious per typical eaten serving cooked than raw. Unless you like big big kale salads. Of course the superfood bit is silly. If people are eating a variety of vegetables and fruits as a significant share of the daily diet then they don’t need to worry about choosing the ones highest among them. There is no huge advantage to having three times RDA of vitamin K say. Personally I like the cooked bitter green vegetables. Kale. Broccoli rabe. Escarole. A little acid added is yummy. Great with beans. Kale in my salads is also fantastic. But it’s taste preference. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/55 "2025-08-06T16:43:41Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Then I discovered caldo verde, I believe from **Chefguy** here, and I’ve been sold ever since. I’ve made both caldo verde and zuppa Toscana. So yummy. Gotta go with the lacinato/ Tuscan kale so it holds up in the broth. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/56 "2025-08-06T18:14:30Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Personally I like the cooked bitter green vegetables. Kale. Broccoli rabe. Escarole. A little acid added is yummy. Great with beans. Kale in my salads is also fantastic. But it’s taste preference. [![](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/its-broccoli-carl-rose.jpg) ](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large-5/its-broccoli-carl-rose.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/57 "2025-08-06T18:17:52Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Simply just because there is a lot more kale in that cup. Yes cooking destroys a large portion of it … and it is concentrated more than enough to offset it. Thus tons more fiber per cup and many of the other nutrients. Why would you measure per cup, though? Surely, the logical measure is to take some amount of kale, and then decide whether you should cook it or not before eating it. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/58 "2025-08-06T18:51:46Z")
We don’t eat by logic. I’m very likely to eat _at least_ a cup of cooked kale as a side or as part of a beans and greens main; I am very unlikely to eat a salad with four cups of kale. And I like kale salads. It’s the same amount of kale. Logically. Spinach, in my experience, shrinks down even more. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/59 "2025-08-06T19:38:32Z")
Fair point. As case in point, I just bought a (literal) bunch of kale the other week. I think I sliced and added two leaves to a pasta as a last step - just a little heat to soften right at the end. Then, as the kale was starting to wilt a few days, I threw some five full leaves into a shakshuka, letting them soften quite a bit more before serving. Tangential to the topic of kale but, I have to say that I’ve tried Cilbir a few times now - both homemade and at restaurants - and so far remain unimpressed. Perhaps I’m just not enough of a fan of plain Greek yogurt but it feels like it needs more than some chili oil to become a proper, complex dish. If someone has any tips for how to turn down the yogurt tang and add in some other flavors, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139/60 "2025-08-06T19:50:24Z")
I’ve never heard of cilbir, but Wikipedia tells me it’s a Turkish dish of poached eggs with yogurt, that is often seasoned with garlic … My gut feeling is that the warm richness of poached eggs should go pretty well with the cool tartness of yogurt. And a little garlic would be a nice seasoning. I might add lemon juice (leaning into the sour, i guess). I don’t eat chili oil in anything, so I’d leave that out. I might add some black pepper. And the illustration shows some leaves on the side. I’d choose spinach over kale, but if you like kale, that would work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-kale-go-from-garnish-decoration-to-superfood/1021139.md?page=4)