collard greens belong to the same plant family as cabbage and broccoli although they relate more to kale. The word itself comes from “colewort”, which is the name for wild cabbage. They form part of the Brassica group, with their big, sturdy leaves and thick, fibrous roots, that really shows on the dish.

One can eat them raw, but not everyone likes that, most folks choose to cook them.

Collard Greens: How to Cook, Eat and Enjoy

In the United States south region exists long custom to cook collard greens slowly during the whole day, until they soften and smooth. They cook quite nicely in delicous broth, usually with meat and spices, that enters every leaf. Interesting about them is the change during the cook: fresh collard greens feel crispy and solid, like lettuce or cabbage, but after hours in the pot, they become surprisingly wet and flexible, with flavor that is clearly their own.

Nutritious value, those green vegetables really impress. In them presents strong amount of calcium and potassium, together with folate and around one gram of protein for one cup. They are also rich in vitamins C and K. One fresh cup has only a bit more then 11 calories, with about two grams of carbohydrates, which makes them very lightweight.

Worth noting, the fibers and nutrients help, they help the digestion, back the skin, improve the sleep and memory, and studies point, that they maybe offer some protection against special diseases.

This sets the collard greens between other vegetables: they keep their form surprisingly well after cooking. They do not shrink from ten cups until almost nothing, like spinach. As member of the Brassica family, they commonly have quite a marked bitter taste, that pleases those, that like that.

Even so, depending on the cooking, they can turn gentle and easy.

Pork and collard greens simply match (they form a perfect pair). Slow cooking with ham gives deep, delicious south flavor, that hardly anything beats. Smoked turkey works well also, and can turn the greens into full food alone.

For something faster, fry them in olive oil and finish with juice of fresh lemon for great taste, without the bacon. Another classic method starts with jumped bacon bits, onion and garlic as base, later add broth of bird and leave everything simmering during 30 until 45 minutes, before serving with the broth and warm sauce.

Bitterness and spice matter more, than one believes, for collard greens. They really need that vinegar touch for shine. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic or red wine vinegar all do the task well.

Sharp pepper vinegar is the pick for spice lovers, that add it directly at the table. One thing, that surprises many: collard greens seem to attach to soil stubbornly, so you really need to wash them well. Even if they are pre-washed in a packet, do extra rinsing.

Serve them together with cornbread, fried bird or blackbeans, and you have a real south food festival.