As the hot summer arrives, light and cool vegetables are essential for people to reduce internal heat and clear the bowels. Both kale and Chinese flowering cabbage, belonging to the cruciferous family, are popular in summer. However, despite their similar, jade-like green color, these two southern vegetables have different nutritional values.
Kale is grown in southern China and has a long history of cultivation. It belongs to the cabbage family and is one of China's specialty vegetables, loved as a common dish in southern regions like Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian. Due to its thick, upright stems, dense cellular tissue, low water content, and a waxy outer layer, it is crisp to chew without being hard, and crunchy without being tough. The poet Su Dongpo even wrote a poem praising it: "Kale is like a mushroom, crisp and delicious, a sound for the teeth and cheeks."
The nutritional value of kale is very rich, with high contents of carotene and vitamin C, far surpassing vegetables like amaranth that are generally considered high in vitamin C. Most importantly, kale is rich in glucosinolates, a powerful anti-cancer component. Regular consumption can also lower cholesterol, soften blood vessels, and prevent heart disease, making its anti-cancer and antioxidant effects not to be underestimated. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, kale is sweet and pungent in nature, and it has the effects of promoting urination to resolve phlegm, detoxifying, and expelling wind, making it very suitable for summer consumption. However, kale should not be eaten in excess, as it can inhibit sex hormone secretion.
Chinese flowering cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage, with the flower stalk as its main edible part. It is tender in texture and crisp in taste, and is one of the main vegetables in southern China, especially in Guangdong. Similar to cabbage, it is rich in crude fiber, vitamin C, and carotene. It not only stimulates intestinal peristalsis to aid bowel movements and digestion but is also beneficial for skin care and beauty. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that Chinese flowering cabbage is slightly cool in nature, and regular consumption has the effects of relieving vexation and thirst, promoting urination and bowel movements, and clearing heat and detoxifying, which is particularly valuable during hot and dry seasons.
It should be noted that whether it's kale or Chinese flowering cabbage, they should not be overcooked during preparation, as this will destroy their nutritional value. Additionally, when stir-frying kale, a little sugar and cooking wine can be added to remove its bitter taste. Because kale has a high content of glucosinolates—an advantage that Chinese flowering cabbage does not have—kale has a better anti-cancer and antioxidant effect in this nutritional comparison. (He Hongju, Researcher, National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables)