You know kale. Hell, everyone knows kale at this point. Those four letters are printed on sweatshirts and tote bags galore. But do you know the difference between all the types of kale? Well, you should, because they're all different, each with its own particular strengths.
They’re all nutritious, hearty, and flavorful (with a grassy, peppery bite that we love), but they cook differently. You should be familiar with the most commonly available types of kale, so the next time you're shopping for the stuff you'll know exactly which kind you should pick up for a given recipe. Here's what you'll come across at the grocery store most often:
Curly kale gets nice and crispy on a white pizza.
Curly Kale
This stuff is everywhere. It’s kale’s most common variety, and like the name advertises, has wavy, curly edges on each leaf. Being the most common, it’s earned the reputation as overplayed, but we think it’s actually a bit underrated. After stripping the leaves from those tough, fibrous stems, it’s great sautéed with a bit of garlic or slow-simmered in oil, and even roasted alongside proteins or other vegetables. The curly edges crisp up beautifully when exposed to the oven's dry heat, and they taste great when cooked in an almost-dry skillet. It's a little bit tough compared to other varieties, so if you're going to eat it raw, it needs to be gently massaged with a bit of salt and acid like lemon juice or vinegar; that said, when treated properly, it lends a delicate, feathery texture to salads, and those crinkly edges make for a dramatic presentation.
Kale BLT salad. Yes.
Tuscan Kale aka Lacinato Kale aka Dinosaur Kale
It goes by a lot of different names, but whatever you want to call it, this is our rock. This is our favorite child. 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. Slow cook it. Remove the stems and use it in a salad or slice it into strips to make a slaw. We also love it stirred into soup or pasta right when it’s being finished in the pan. Tuscan kale has a pleasant, chewy texture that disappears when overcooked, so be sure to keep an eye on it.
