Ornamental kale is one of the decorative plants in the garden whose leaves provide color in autumn and early winter. Like all types of cabbage, you can also bring ornamental cabbage to the table because its leaves are edible.
Is ornamental cabbage edible and he althy?
Yes, ornamental cabbage is edible and he althy, it contains important ingredients such as vitamins A and C, potassium, calcium and iron. Its taste is similar to that of cauliflower and broccoli, and it can be used both raw and cooked. Only home-grown ornamental cabbage should be consumed.
Ornamental kale is he althy
Ornamental cabbage, like all types of cabbage, is very he althy. The leaves contain important ingredients such as:
- Vitamin A and C
- Potassium
- calcium
- Iron
If you care for ornamental kale in the garden or in a pot on the terrace or balcony, you should bring a few leaves to the table more often.
What does ornamental cabbage taste like?
Ornamental kale is related to kale and looks similar to green savoy cabbage, which is a popular winter vegetable in this country. However, ornamental cabbage tastes milder than other types of cabbage. The taste is similar to that of cauliflower and broccoli.
Prepare the ornamental cabbage by rinsing the leaves thoroughly under running water. This will remove sand, insects and worms.
Select the ornamental cabbage leaves carefully and cut out any spots. Since the leaves are more tender than those of savoy cabbage or white cabbage, you do not need to cut out the thick leaf veins.
Preparing ornamental cabbage in the kitchen
You can serve ornamental cabbage raw or cooked. When prepared raw, the ingredients are largely retained. However, not all people can tolerate raw ornamental cabbage. If you boil the leaves, the color will be lost.
After washing the raw ornamental cabbage, drain it well and serve it as an autumnal raw vegetable salad. The colored leaves also make great edible decorations on the table.
When cooked, ornamental cabbage is suitable for all dishes for which you can also use Chinese cabbage, savoy cabbage or broccoli as an ingredient.
Eat only home-grown ornamental cabbage
The ornamental cabbage, which is only partially hardy, is often offered in autumn as a garden decoration or for grave arrangements. You shouldn't eat this cabbage.
Ornamental cabbage grown only for decorative purposes is often contaminated with harmful substances and is therefore not edible.
Tip
Ornamental cabbage often suffers from aphids, flea beetles, cabbage white butterfly maggots and clubroot. If you want to use the leaves in the kitchen, the only treatment left is to collect pests by hand and use organic disease control measures.