Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, kale, flat back kale, palm tree kale, black Tuscan palm, or, in Italian and often in English, , is a variety of

kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their Leaf vegetable, edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite ...

from the Acephala group of cultivars ''

Brassica oleracea ''Brassica oleracea'', also known as wild cabbage in its uncultivated form, is a plant of the family Brassicaceae. The species originated from feral populations of related plants in the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was most likely first cultiv ...

'' grown for its edible leaves. Lacinato has a long tradition in

Italian cuisine Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine#CITEREFDavid1988, David 1988, Introduction, pp. 101–103 consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Ancient Roman cuisine, Roman times, and later spread ...

, especially that of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, where it has been grown for centuries, and it is one of the traditional ingredients of

minestrone Minestrone (, ) or ''minestrone di verdure'' is a thick soup of Italian origin based on vegetables. It typically includes onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, often legumes, such as beans, chickpeas or fava beans, and sometimes ...

and

ribollita ''Ribollita'' () is a Tuscan bread soup, panade, porridge, or potage made with bread and vegetables, often from leftovers. There are many variations, but the usual ingredients include leftover bread, cannellini beans, lacinato kale, cabbage a ...

Description

Lacinato kale grows tall and has dark blue-green leaves with an "embossed texture"; its taste is described as "slightly sweeter and more delicate" than

curly kale Kale (), also called leaf cabbage, belongs to a group of cabbage (''Brassica oleracea'') cultivars primarily grown for their edible leaves; it has also been used as an ornamental plant. Its multiple different cultivars vary quite a bit in appea ...

and "slightly bitter ndearthy". 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 "the darling of the culinary world".

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 An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

are often added. It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad. In

Tuscan cuisine Tuscan cuisine refers to the culinary traditions of the Tuscan region in Italy celebrated for its simplicity and focus on fresh, high-quality ingredients like olive oil, legumes, and meats. Rooted in , it emphasizes seasonal ingredients and s ...

, lacinato kale is often used in

(literally: "reboiled"), a thick, hearty soup made up of ingredients cooked for a meal the day before. In Dutch, it is called (as in German) or , referring to the palm-like shape with the leaves growing from the stem, especially after the bottom leaves are harvested. In Swedish and Finnish, it is known as or , meaning 'black cabbage'.

Cultivation

Lacinato kale dates to the 18th century in Italy. This

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

is popular among gardeners because of its colour and texture, and was amongst the plants

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

recorded in his 1777 garden at

Monticello Monticello ( ) was the primary residence and plantation of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father, author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third president of the United States. Jefferson began designing Monticello after inheriting l ...

. The plant grows to a height of , with blistered leaves often over in length and wide. The straplike leaves are typically harvested from the bottom of the stem, leaving the remainder of the plant resembling a palm tree.

Notes

References

{{reflist, 2 Brassica oleracea Leaf vegetables