I am literally years behind on kale. Years. And massaging kale? That’s something I couldn’t have imaged was real. Maybe you remember a few years back when kale was really trendy? It was basically promoted as one of those super foods that was going to save us from everything. And kale was everywhere then, so I got curious and I tried it. And I hated it. To me it looked like a plant you’d see in renderings of what the world looked like when dinosaurs roamed the earth. And it tasted like a crunchy autumn leaf. Yuck.
So I kept hating kale until it stopped being trendy and just became a regular vegetable we are all familiar with. And now something new is super trendy and sweeping us all up in a frenzy (I think maybe it’s coconut oil, but again I’m often behind on those things).
Then back in September I went to my friend Emily’s wedding in Baltimore where they served a kale Cesar salad. And I tried it and I loved it – and not just because of the dressing. The kale was delicious! I said something to my friends at the table that I never like kale but this salad was wonderful. My friend Kelly’s husband, Dan (who knows a ton about food and wine) said it was probably massaged kale.
I looked at him with shock. Massaged kale? People are massaging kale?! That sounds like the most pretentious foodie nonsense I’d ever heard of. I was going to have to look it up. However, I went back to regular life and forgot about it. I forgot about it until I decided Ryan and I should eat more vegetables going into the holiday season (which is a time of dessert and party indulgence). I went to the store and bought a big bag of kale and decided to set up a taste test.
In the photo above are two cups of kale in each bowl. The one on the left is the massaged kale and the one on the right is regular kale. For the massage I used my hands to squeeze and rub the leaves all around for about 5 minutes. I could feel it getting a little softer and less strong and crunchy. Can you see a difference between the two? I say not really. The massaged kale is flatter and a bit less fluffy and wild. I would also say maybe it’s a more vibrant green. I always think plain kale has sort of a muted gray tinge to it. (Yummy description I know).
But what about flavor? The real question is does massaging kale make a difference? I tasted a few pieces from each bowl and I thought yes, it does make a difference. The massaged kale was silky and the flavor more mellow. The scientist in me knew that I couldn’t be the only subject in this study so I recruited Ryan. I ran up to him with two pieces of kale and said “taste this.” (Wildly scientific approach, right?)
He asked me what it was that I was feeding him, but I wouldn’t tell him. He had the massaged kale first, then the regular. I asked Ryan which one he liked better and he said the first one (massaged kale!). Then I asked him why. He thought about it for a bit and said the flavor of the first one was better and not as bitter as the second one. I was so excited! Ryan had participated in my impromptu blind taste test and had stated the expected results. Question asked, and questioned answered. So here’s the conclusion:
Massaging kale makes a difference! It makes these leaves silkier and less bitter.
Ok, so it makes a difference – but why? Kale is hearty and fibrous, which helps it grow in cold weather. The massage helps break down those fibers – specifically it wilts the cellulose structure inside the leaves leaving you with yummy lighter kale. You can also coat the kale in olive oil and salt, then massage it. This way you’ve dressed and massaged your salad in one step.
This seemingly ridiculous habit has changed how I feel about kale. I now like kale (three years later than everybody else). I know in December it’s all about hearty foods and yummy sweets, but if you feel you’re over indulging come back to vegetables and try out massaged kale.
