Why you should massage your kale

There is no question that this is the year (decade?) of kale. Lauded by one and all, kale is considered a super-healthy food. Per WebMD, “Kale is an amazing vegetable being recognized for its exceptional nutrient richness, health benefits, and delicious flavor.  Eating a variety of natural, unprocessed vegetables can do wonders for your health, but choosing super-nutritious kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits, including cancer protection and lowered cholesterol.” And, besides all this, it turns out kale can help you get your daily workout.

But it is possible that you may not like the taste of kale.  It is strong and somewhat bitter –  a relation of cabbage – and that taste profile can turn many people off. But for those of you who continue to be seduced by kale’s strong nutritional message, there’s hope. Apparently, masssaging kale works wonders, especially if you want to use it in a salad.

We’ve seen advice to massage kale in many places, including these articles: How To Massage Kale: Why A Rubdown Helps This Leafy Green from HuffPostTaste, and Kale’s Secret from the L.A. Times. As HuffPost writes, “While it might seem a bit odd to massage your food, you’d be amazed at what a quick five minute rubdown can do to transform this green from being bitter and tough to turning silky and sweet. …Massaging kale is easy to do. Take bunches of kale in both hands — with the fibrous ribs removed — rub them together and repeat. You’ll notice a visible change as you do this; the leaves will darken, shrink in size and become silky in texture. 

The L.A. Times wants to make certain you understand we’re talking about a deep muscle massage, not a light Swedish type: “and I mean a real massage – a deep-tissue bone-breaker. Grab bunches of it in both hands and squeeze. Then rub them together. And repeat. It’s almost like kneading bread dough.”

And how to tell if you’re through? “In fact, the best way to know when you’ve massaged kale long enough is to take a bite. The color and texture changes can happen before the leaves are completely softened. But taste doesn’t lie.”

So go to it. And use the EYB Library to help you use up all that now-tender kale with these highly rated online recipes.