Collard greens

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Collard greens
Collard-Greens-Bundle.jpg
A bundle of collard greens
Species Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group Acephala Group
OriginGreece
Cultivar group membersMany; see text.
Young collard plants growing in a container Collards in container.jpg
Young collard plants growing in a container

Collard greens (collards) describes certain loose-leafed cultivars of Brassica oleracea , the same species as many common vegetables, including cabbage (Capitata Group) and broccoli (Botrytis Group). Collard greens are part of the Acephala Group of the species, which includes kale and spring greens. They are in the same cultivar group owing to their genetic similarity. The name "collard" comes from the word "colewort" (the wild cabbage plant). [1] [2]

Cultivar plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics

The term cultivar most commonly refers to an assemblage of plants selected for desirable characters that are maintained during propagation. More generally, cultivar refers to the most basic classification category of cultivated plants in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP). Most cultivars arose in cultivation, but a few are special selections from the wild.

<i>Brassica oleracea</i> species of plant

Brassica oleracea is a plant species that includes many common foods as cultivars, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, savoy, kohlrabi, and gai lan.

Cabbage A leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads

Cabbage or headed cabbage is a leafy green, red (purple), or white biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage, B. oleracea var. oleracea, and belongs to the "cole crops", meaning it is closely related to broccoli and cauliflower ; Brussels sprouts ; and savoy cabbage. Brassica rapa is commonly named Chinese, celery or napa cabbage and has many of the same uses. Cabbage is high in nutritional value.

Contents

The plants are grown for their large, dark-colored, edible leaves and as a garden ornamental, mainly in Brazil, Portugal, the southern United States, many parts of Africa, the Balkans, northern Spain, and Kashmir.

Ornamental plant plant that is grown for decorative purposes

Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as houseplants, cut flowers and specimen display. The cultivation of ornamental plants is called floriculture, which forms a major branch of horticulture.

Brazil Federal republic in South America

Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 208 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the fifth most populous. Its capital is Brasília, and its most populated city is São Paulo. The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states, the Federal District, and the 5,570 municipalities. It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations, due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world.

Portugal Republic in Southwestern Europe

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe, being bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

Description

The cultivar group name Acephala ("without a head" in Greek) refers to the fact that this variety of B. oleracea does not have the close-knit core of leaves (a "head") like cabbage does. [3] The plant is a biennial where winter frost occurs, and a perennial in colder regions.[ citation needed ] It is also moderately sensitive to salinity. It has an upright stalk, often growing up to two feet tall. The plant is very similar to kale. Popular cultivars of collard greens include 'Georgia Southern', 'Morris Heading', 'Butter Collard' (couve manteiga), couve tronchuda, and Groninger Blauw.

Greek language language spoken in Greece, Cyprus and Southern Albania

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus and other parts of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It has the longest documented history of any living Indo-European language, spanning more than 3000 years of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the major part of its history; other systems, such as Linear B and the Cypriot syllabary, were used previously. The alphabet arose from the Phoenician script and was in turn the basis of the Latin, Cyrillic, Armenian, Coptic, Gothic, and many other writing systems.

Biennial plant Flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle.

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its biological lifecycle. In the first year, the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots, then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming a rosette. Many biennials require a cold treatment, or vernalization, before they will flower. During the next spring or summer, the stem of the biennial plant elongates greatly, or "bolts". The plant then flowers, producing fruits and seeds before it finally dies. There are far fewer biennials than either perennial plants or annual plants.

Perennial plant Plant that lives for more than two years

A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. Some sources cite perennial plants being plants that live more than three years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also widely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials.

Cultivation and storage

A collard green field in Pennsylvania Collard green field in North Centre Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.JPG
A collard green field in Pennsylvania

The plant is commercially cultivated for its thick, slightly bitter, edible leaves. They are available year-round, but are tastier and more nutritious in the cold months, after the first frost. [4] For best texture, the leaves are picked before they reach their maximum size, at which stage they are thicker and are cooked differently from the new leaves. Age does not affect flavor. Flavor and texture also depend on the cultivar; the couve manteiga and couve tronchuda are especially appreciated in Brazil and Portugal.

Fresh collard leaves can be stored for up to 10 days if refrigerated just above freezing at 1 °C (34 °F) with high humidity (>95%). In domestic refrigerators, fresh collard leaves can be stored for about three days.[ citation needed ] Once cooked, they can be frozen and stored for greater lengths of time. Collard leaves and stem are pickled and consumed as a cuisine along with rice. These pickles may be made out of the leaves alone, in which case the leaves are first aired and boiled. [5]

Nutritional information

Collards, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 137 kJ (33 kcal)
5.6 g
Sugars 0.4 g
Dietary fiber 4 g
Fat
0.7
2.7 g
Vitamins Quantity%DV†
Vitamin A equiv.
48%
380 μg
42%
4513 μg
6197 μg
Thiamine (B1)
3%
0.04 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
9%
0.11 mg
Niacin (B3)
4%
0.58 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
4%
0.22 mg
Vitamin B6
10%
0.13 mg
Folate (B9)
4%
16 μg
Vitamin C
22%
18 mg
Vitamin E
6%
0.9 mg
Vitamin K
388%
407 μg
Minerals Quantity%DV†
Calcium
14%
141 mg
Iron
9%
1.13 mg
Magnesium
6%
21 mg
Manganese
24%
0.51 mg
Phosphorus
5%
32 mg
Potassium
2%
117 mg
Sodium
1%
15 mg
Zinc
2%
0.23 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water90.2 g
Full Link to USDA Database entry
†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

Raw collard greens are 90% water, 6% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). Like kale, collard greens contain substantial amounts of vitamin K (388% of the Daily Value, DV) in a 100 gram serving. Collard greens are rich sources (20% or more of DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese, and moderate sources of calcium and vitamin B6. A 100 gram serving of cooked collard greens provides 33 calories.

Carbohydrate organic compound that consists only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen

A carbohydrate is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula Cm(H2O)n (where m may be different from n). This formula holds true for monosaccharides. Some exceptions exist; for example, deoxyribose, a sugar component of DNA, has the empirical formula C5H10O4. The carbohydrates are technically hydrates of carbon; structurally it is more accurate to view them as aldoses and ketoses.

Protein biological molecule consisting of chains of amino acid residues

Proteins are large biomolecules, or macromolecules, consisting of one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, responding to stimuli, providing structure to cells and organisms, and transporting molecules from one location to another. Proteins differ from one another primarily in their sequence of amino acids, which is dictated by the nucleotide sequence of their genes, and which usually results in protein folding into a specific three-dimensional structure that determines its activity.

Fat one of the three main macronutrients, along with carbohydrate and protein. Fats, also known as triglycerides, are esters of three fatty acid chains and the alcohol glycerol

Fat is one of the three main macronutrients, along with carbohydrate and protein. Fats molecules consist of primarily carbon and hydrogen atoms, thus they are all hydrocarbon molecules. Examples include cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides.

Culinary use

Collard greens have been eaten for at least 2000 years, with evidence showing that the ancient Greeks cultivated several types of collard greens, as well as kale. [6]

Southern United States

Collard greens are a staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine. [7] They are often prepared with other similar green leaf vegetables, such as kale, turnip greens, spinach, and mustard greens in the dish called "mixed greens". Typical seasonings when cooking collards are smoked and salted meats (ham hocks, smoked turkey drumsticks, smoked turkey necks, pork neckbones, fatback or other fatty meat), diced onions, vinegar, salt, and black pepper, white pepper, or crushed red pepper, and some cooks add a small amount of sugar. Traditionally, collards are eaten on New Year's Day, along with black-eyed peas or field peas and cornbread, to ensure wealth in the coming year. [7] Cornbread is used to soak up the "pot liquor", a nutrient-rich collard broth. Collard greens may also be thinly sliced and fermented to make a collard sauerkraut that is often cooked with flat dumplings.

East Africa

Collard greens are known as sukuma wiki in Tanzania and Kenya. Sukuma wiki is mainly lightly sauteed in oil until tender, flavoured with onions and seasoned with salt, and served either as the main accompaniment or as a side dish with the preferred meat (fish, chicken, beef, or pork). In Congo, Tanzania and Kenya (East Africa), thinly sliced collard greens are the main accompaniments of a popular dish known as sima or ugali (a maize flour cake).

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe collard greens are known as mbida. Due to the climate, mbida thrives under almost all conditions, with most people growing it in their gardens. It is commonly eaten with Sadza (ugali in West & East Africa, pap in South Africa and polenta in Italy) as part of the staple food [8] . Mbida is normally wilted in boiling water before being fried and combined with sautéd onions and/or tomato. Some (more traditionally, the Shona people) add beef, pork and other meat to the mbida mix for a type of stew [9] . Most people eat mbida on a regular basis in Zimbabwe as it is economical and as previously mentioned, can be grown with little to no effort in ones own garden.

Brazil and Portugal

Caldo verde, a popular Portuguese soup made with collard greens Caldo verde.jpg
Caldo verde, a popular Portuguese soup made with collard greens

In Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine, collard greens (or couve) is a common accompaniment to fish and meat dishes. They make up a standard side dish for feijoada , a popular pork and beans-style stew. [10]

Thinly sliced collard greens are also a main part of the popular Portuguese soup, caldo verde ("green broth"). For this broth, the leaves are sliced into strips, 2–3 millimetres (0.079–0.118 in) wide (sometimes by a grocer or market vendor using a special hand-cranked slicer) and added to the other ingredients 15 minutes before it is served.

Kashmir

In the Kashmir Valley, collard greens (haakh) are included in most meals. Leaves in the bud are harvested by pinching in early spring when the dormant buds sprout and give out tender leaves. Also, seedlings after 35–40 days (3,000–3,500 ks), as well as mature plants, are pulled out along with roots from thickly sown beds. When the extending stem bears alternate leaves in quick succession during the growing season, older leaves are harvested periodically. Before autumn, the apical portion of the stem is removed along with the whorled leaves. There are several dishes made with haakh which is often prepared with spices, condiments or garnishing. Water, oil, salt and green chilies are typical ingredients. The small collard green leaves of spring are known as kaanyil haakh. A common dish is haak rus, a soup of whole collard leaves cooked in water, salt and oil along with many other spices, and usually eaten with rice.

Pests

The sting nematode Belonolaimus gracilis and the awl nematode, Dolichodorus spp. are both ectoparasites that can injure collard. Root symptoms include, stubby or coarse roots that are dark at the tips. Shoot symptoms include, stunted growth, premature wilting and chlorosis (Nguyen and Smart, 1975). Another species of the sting worm: Belonolaimus longicaudatus is a pest of collards in Georgia and North Carolina (Robbins and Barker, 1973). B. longicaudatus is devastating to seedlings and transplants. As few as three nematodes per 100g of soil when transplanting can cause significant yield losses on susceptible plants. They are most common in sandy soils (Noling, 2012).

The stubby root nematodes Trichodorus and Paratrichodorus attach and feed near the tip of the tap roots of collard greens. The damage caused prevents proper root elongation leading to tight mats that could appear swollen, therefore resulting in a "stubby root" (Noling, 2012).

Several species of the root knot nematode Meloidogyne spp. are hosted by collards these include: (M. javanica, M. incognita and M. arenaria. Second stage juveniles attack the plant and settle in the roots. However, infestation seems to occur at lower populations compared to other cruciferous plants. Root symptoms include deformation (galls) and injury that prevent proper water and nutrient uptake. This could eventually lead to stunting, wilting and chlorosis of the shoots (Crow and Dunn, 2012).

The false root knot nematode Nacobbus aberrans has a wide host range of up to 84 species including many weeds. On Brassicas it has been reported in several states including Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Kansas (Manzanilla- López et al., 2002). As a pest of collards, the degree of damage is dependent upon the nematode population in the soil.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Spring Greens are a cultivar of Brassica oleracea in the cultivar Acephala Group, similar to kale, in which the central leaves do not form a head or form only a very loose one. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most other domesticated forms, and is grown primarily in northern Europe, where its tolerance of cold winters is valued for an early spring supply of edible leaves. The Cultivar Group Acephala also includes curly kale and collard greens, which are extremely similar genetically.

Acephala, Latin for "without a head", may refer to:

The acephala group refers to any type of Brassica which grows without the central 'head' typical of many varieties of cabbage. These are included within the species Brassica oleracea, such as Kale. The name literally means "without a head" in contrast to those varieties known as capitata or "with a head". This group includes a number of species, both wild and cultivated, many of which are grown for their edible leaves and flowers.

Sukuma wiki

Sukuma wiki is an East African dish made with collard greens, known as sukuma, cooked with onions and spices. It is often served and eaten with ugali.

Kig ha farz cooked dish

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References

  1. ↑ "collard". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ "Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards". Texas A&M Agricultural Extension. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  3. ↑ "Brassica oleracea var. acephala". Floridata. 2007-02-06. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  4. ↑ "Birney Imes: Amazing collards – The Dispatch". Cdispatch.com. 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  5. ↑ "Pickled Greens Recipe - Genius Kitchen" . Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  6. ↑ "Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards | Archives | Aggie Horticulture". Aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  7. 1 2 Vitrano A (2011-01-01). "Dine wise on New Year's Day, Certain foods could bring you luck". South Carolina NOW. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2012-07-26.
  8. ↑ "Food in Zimbabwe - Zimbabwean Food, Zimbabwean Cuisine - traditional, diet, history, common, meals, staple, rice, people, make". www.foodbycountry.com.
  9. ↑ "Pork Bones Haifiridzi". 21 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "How to Make Feijoada, Brazil's National Dish, Including a Recipe From Emeril Lagasse by Shaylyn Esposito". Smithsonian.com. 2014-06-13.
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