The Complete Chef’s Guide to Growing Kale

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Best Chef Recipes — Pacific Northwest Ingredient Series

Kale is more than just a bundled green at the grocery store. For chefs and gardeners, it’s a diverse, frost-sweetened ingredient with striking flavors, colors, and plate structure. This guide explores the best kale varieties to grow, focusing on cool climates like the Pacific Northwest—but valuable for any temperate region.

🖤 Lacinato / Tuscan Kale (Palm Leaf Types)

Botanical: Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia
Long, textured leaves with deep color and sweet post-frost flavor.

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Lacinato / Nero di Toscana	Italian heirloom; blistered texture	Braising, crudo, chips
Cavolo Nero	Sweeter after frost	Ribollita, braises
Black Magic	Darkest leaves; heat/cold tolerant	Raw salads (young leaves)
Dazzling Blue	Purple-pink midrib; highly ornamental	Crudo ribbons, plating color
Toscano Black Palm	Palm-like fronds, winter vigor	Soups, elegant plating
Palmizio	Tender and early-harvest	Sautés, soups
Lacinato Rainbow	Tuscan × Red Russian; extra hardy	Raw salads, fermenting

💚 Curly Kale (Classic & Cold-Hardy)

Botanical: Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
Ruffled and crunchy; excellent structure for salads and chips.

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Winterbor	Sweetest in cold; survives snow	Winter salads
Starbor	High yield, uniform	Market growing
Darkibor	Deep, ornamental color	Chips, roasting
Green Curled Scotch	Classic frost-sweet flavor	Raw & cooked
Westland Winter	Exceptionally hardy	Pickling, braising
Blue Curled Vates	Compact; low-waste stems	Restaurant microharvest
Redbor	Purple curls; edible ornament	Crudo garnish, plating
Scarlet Kale	Looser curls, red tones	Ferments beautifully

❄️ Russian & Siberian Kale (Soft, Sweet, Ultra-Hardy)

Botanical: Brassica napus
Tender, sweet, and cold tolerant—ideal raw.

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Red Russian	Tender stems; oak-leaf shape	Raw salads, fermentation
White Russian	Lighter stems; frost champion	Soups, sautés
Siberian	Subzero tolerance	Overwintering
Ragged Jack	Colorful English heirloom	Rustic plating
Ursa	Mixed leaf forms; vigorous	Salad mix production
Improved Siberian	Mild and large-leafed	Family gardens

🌱 Tender Baby Leaf Kale (Micro & Mix Types)

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Black Magic Baby Leaf	Miniature Lacinato flavor	Salad mixes
Red Russian Baby Leaf	Purple stems, delicate	Raw or wilted
KX-1	Deep purple, even when cooked	High-end plating
Babyleaf Winter Mix	Cold-hardy blend	Winter greenhouse
Kalebration Mix	Colorful shapes and forms	Restaurant blends
Dwarf Blue Curled Baby	Mini curly	Cold salads

🪴 Dwarf & Compact Kale

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Dwarf Siberian	Compact, very cold hardy	Patio pots
Dwarf Curled Scotch	Heavy yields	Chips, sautés
Dwarf Blue Curled Vates	Dense heads, tender stems	Small plots
Jersey Kale (Dwarf)	Rare heritage plant	Historic gardening

🎨 Ornamental Yet Edible Kale

Variety	Notes	Best Use
Nagoya White/Red/Pink	Rosette shapes, dramatic color	Plating, pickling
Osaka Pink	Contrasting veining	Decoration
Peacock Red/White	Feathery leaves	Salad accents
Kamome Series	Intense pigmentation	Edible displays
Coral Prince	Coral-like texture	Artistic plating

🥶 Best Kale Varieties for Pacific Northwest Winters

Winterbor
Red Russian
Dazzling Blue Lacinato
White Russian
Black Magic
Starbor
Westland Winter
Lacinato Rainbow
Ursa

🍽 Chef’s Kale Technique Pairings

Kale Type	Best Culinary Methods
Lacinato (Palm Leaf)	Crudo ribbons, braising, sous-vide greens
Curly	Chips, structured salads, plating texture
Russia/Siberian	Raw salads, kimchi-style pickles, fermentation
Baby Leaf	Garnishes, fresh salad mixes
Ornamental	Pickled stems, edible garnishes, centerpiece plating