lardcore

[Victor Steinbok]

Since we are on a culinary kick--you forgot kale, endive and Swiss chard
(beet greens by any other name). The main difference between these three
and collards is that they are also favored by different European
culinary cultures (Dutch, Swiss and Russian, for example, although not
"respectively").

I also very much doubt that "collard greens and winter cabbage are the
same thing". It's possible that "winter cabbage" means different things
to different people, but it largely seems to be an issue of variety. For
example, some people still divide cabbage into "green cabbage" and
"white cabbage"--the former predominant in late summer, the latter in
winter. But most modern "supermarket" cabbage is really a hybrid and
it's becoming more and more difficult to differentiate between the two.

Collard, kale, broccoli and kohlrabi are just different cultivars of the
same species--in fact, the same species that produces the ordinary
green/white cabbage, as well as Savoy cabbage, red (actually purple,
a.k.a. Blue Kraut) cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels (or is it Brussel)
sprouts and all sorts of similar plants and hybrids (e.g.,
broccoflower). About the only thing that this species does not cover is
nappa cabbage and most other assorted Asian cabbages, which are closely
related and come from a different species of Brassica--which actually
includes "field mustard", i.e., the plant that produces mustard greens,
and "rapini" (and thus not directly related to broccoli, despite
appearance). The latter are actually all varieties of turnip.

The fact that these two species account for so many different leafy
vegetables confuses the hell out of most people and the majority would
be hard pressed to place each cultivar into the correct species. About
the only things that these two species don't cover are radishes and
rutabagas, which are still Brassicas, however. Also left out are
dandelions and varieties of chicory--which, of course, include endive
and escarole. Confused enough?

     VS-)

On 10/29/2010 12:44 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 12:43 PM, Ben Zimmer
> <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu>  wrote:
>> collards
> Why is it always the case that only collard greens are mentioned? What
> about mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, beet greens,
> spinach? The latter are all delicious, whether merely drizzled with
> hot bacon grease or fully cooked.
>
> Or maybe eating those greens is peculiar to East Texas.
>
> An English friend once told me that collard greens and "winter
> cabbage" are the same thing. I have no idea whether that's true.
>
> --
> -Wilson
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org