Knowing kale microgreens well will let you fall in love with these young plants. Kale microgreen are the tiny version of the kale leafy green vegetable, which is considered a superfood. They are grown from the same seed of the full-grown plant but harvested just as their first cotyledon or first real leaf has appeared. While kale leafy green is among the most nutrient-dense vegetables grown, kale microgreens surpass their health benefits, containing as much as 4 times the nutrients levels that kale has.  

Kale belongs to the plant species Brassica oleracea that includes many common vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, collard, and cauliflower. Kale microgreen have a nice, mild and nutty taste similar to other leafy vegetables but generally a little sweeter and milder due to their young age. They are ideally added to salads and soups, used as a garnish for nearly any dishes, and on sandwiches in place of lettuce or even eaten on their own.

Microgreens were first offered on chefs’ menus in San Francisco, USA in the 1980’s. Kale was among the first microgreens initially introduced to customers, along with basil, cilantro, arugula, beets, and a colorful mixture of these microgreens. The popularity of microgreens grew as they move eastward from California. More varieties of microgreens were soon after developed and introduced.