Collard Greens

Collard greens are broad, flat, dark green leaves with a mildly bitter, earthy flavour and a sturdy texture. They belong to the same species as cabbage, broccoli, and kale, but are grown for their large, open leaves rather than a head or floret.

Most famously associated with Southern American cooking, where they’re traditionally slow-braised with smoked pork, collard greens are also used in Brazilian, East African, and Portuguese cuisines. They can be eaten raw in salads when thinly sliced, sautéed as a quick side, or used as a wrap in place of tortillas or bread.

Collards are increasingly available at Australian farmers’ markets and greengrocers. Their robust leaves hold up well to long cooking without turning mushy, making them a reliable choice for soups, stews, and braises.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Collard greens are grown from seed in well-drained soil, typically maturing in 60 to 80 days. The large outer leaves are harvested by hand, picked individually from the bottom of the plant upward, allowing the plant to continue producing new growth from the centre. After harvest, the leaves are washed, trimmed of tough lower stems, and bundled for sale. They can be sold loose, bunched, or pre-washed and bagged.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 39kcal
Protein 3g
Carbs 3.2g
Fat 0.8g
Fibre 3.8g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 RACC is about 85 g — roughly 30 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.5kg
Freshwater ≈130L
Land ≈0.4m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

braised leafy green

Goes well with
bacon garlic onion vinegar ham chili
Classic dishes
  • Southern braised collard greens
  • Caldo verde
  • Feijoada

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

Analytical (Atwater Imputation)

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromCollard, leaves goes well withbacon goes well withgarlic goes well withonion goes well withvinegar goes well withham
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