Chinese Kale - As good for Calcium?

[Phil Lewis]

I live in Hong Kong and so naurally I can only get my hands on Chinese Kale. Is this super veg as nutrient rich as the stuff found in the US? Or should I be trying to source a different type of Kale?

[Kirsteen]

Hi Phil, to be honest I'd never heard of Chinese Kale (I have learnt so much since I started W30). I have searched and can't find any information on the nutritional values of this, other than the standard calories etc, which don't count so I never even bothered noting them.

To be honest, I wouldn't worry about micronutrients. All green leafy veg is valuable, in fact all veg is nutritious whatever it's colour. I try to eat as wide a variety as possible but don't sweat it and, if that's what's available locally it's probably fresher than something that's been shipped halfway round the world, so enjoy

[Tom Denham]

I was able to find a little information online about Chinese kale. The coolest thing is after looking at pictures, I think I've been eating gai lan or Chinese kale. My farmer plants a lot of interesting varieties and I think I've been getting this lately. As best I can tell from the spotty sites I could find, kale is a super veggie in China just like in the US. In one comparison of raw kale (no variety listed) and cooked gai lan, raw kale had slightly more calcium than cooked gai lan, but both qualified as super food.

[dianavuong]

If by Chinese Kale, you mean Gai Lan, I'm sure it is just as nutritious as regular kale. I think it is more commonly referred to as Chinese Broccoli though and resembles Broccolini. It is one of my favorite vegetables.