Varieties of kale

Kale or borecole ( Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a descendant of wild cabbage and is thought to have originated in Asia Minor. It was probably brought to Europe by Celtic wanderers as early as 600BC where it became one of the most common green vegetables in Europe until the Middle Ages.

In the early part of fourth century BC, the Romans referred to curly leaved varieties of cabbage as Sabellian kale, probably the ancestors of modern kale varieties.

Ornamental kale and Cavolo Nero are more recent. Ornamentals were first cultivated in the 1980s in California, while Cavolo Nero or lancinato kale was discovered Tuscany in the late 19th century.

Russian kale is a different species (