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Collard or collard greens is a loose-leafed variety of the cabbage plant, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, which is grown as a food crop and garden ornamental, mainly in Brazil, Portugal, and the Southern U.S.. The plant is also called couve in Brazil, couve-galega in Portugal, (col) berza in Spanish-speaking countries, and borekale or spring greens in the U.K.

The term also means a dish made from the plant's large edible dark-green leaves.

The plant

The variety name acephala ("without a head" in Latin) refers to the fact that this kind of cabbage does not have the usual close-knit core of leaves ("head") of regular cabbage.

Like all cabbage varieties, collard is relatively resistant to cold and frost.

The plant is very similar to kale (col crespa in Spanish); both are considered the same variety (acephala), but kale has smaller and wavier leaves, with thoughter stems and veins.

Cultivars

• Georgia Southern
• Morris Heading
• Butter Collard or couve-manteiga
• couve tronchuda

Collard dishes

The plant is commercially cultivated for its thick, slightly bitter edible leaves. They are available year-round, but many people believe that they are tastier and more nutritious in the cold months, after the first frosts. For best flavor and testure, the leaves should be picked before they reach their maximum size. Flavor and texture also depend on the cultivar; the couve-manteiga and couve tronchuda are especially appreciated in Brazil and Portugal.

Only firm, dark green leaves are fit for consumption; any wilted or yellowish leaves must be discarded. Fresh collard leaves can be stored up to 10 days if refrigerated to just above freezing (-0.8 C) at high humidity (>95%). In domestic refrigerators, fresh collard can be stored for about three days. (Once cooked, it can be frozen and stored indefinitely.)

Collard leaves have little food value and are poorly digestible when raw. They are mainly consumed boiled or lightly sautéed, as meal fillers and as a source of dietary fiber, especially as a balance to fish and meat dishes. They are also rich in vitamins A, C (which is destroyed by cooking), B1, and B2. Each 100 g of leaves provides 46 calories and contains 4 g of protein, 0.5 grams of fat, 7 g of carbohydrates.

Collard greens in US cuisine

Collard greens is a basic "soul food" of the Southern U.S cuisine. It may actually be prepared with any other loose-leafed green leaves, such as kale, turnip greens, spinach, and mustard leaves. It is traditionally a "winter" dish.

Collard greens in Brazil

In Brazil, collard greens are a standard accompainment of feijoada (a popular pork-and-beans stew) and other heavy meat dishes. The leaves are sliced into strips, 1 to 3 mm wide, (sometimes by the market vendor, with a special hand-cranked slicer) and sautéed with oil or butter, flavored with garlic, onlion, and salt.

Thinly sliced collard greens are also the main ingredient of a popular soup, caldo verde ("green broth").

The juice pressed from fresh leaves and leaf stalks, taken regularly, is popularly believed to be a remedy for gout, bronchitis, and blood circulation problems.

See also

• Kale
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

• Southern US cuisine
• Cuisine of Brazil

External links

• Collard plant images at a commercial site.

• Vegetables