Translation guide
Kale is a leafy green vegetable. In Japanese, it is usually referred to by its borrowed name ケール, but it is not as common as in Western cuisine. This guide covers how to talk about kale in Japanese, including related terms and cultural notes.
Referring to kale as a food or plant
The standard Japanese word for kale, borrowed from English. Used in recipes, supermarkets, and everyday conversation.
I put kale in the salad.
Kale has been popular lately.
A rare, literal kanji rendering of kale. Almost never used in daily life; mainly found in botanical contexts or older texts.
Kale is a vegetable of the Brassicaceae family.
Talking about kale in the context of health, smoothies, or superfoods
Commenting on the bitterness or toughness of kale
Kale is not a traditional Japanese vegetable. It became known through Western health food trends. In supermarkets, it is often labeled as ケール and may be found near other leafy greens like spinach (ほうれん草) or komatsuna (小松菜).
Kale is sometimes confused with 青汁 (あおじる) ingredients, but 青汁 is typically made from young barley leaves or other greens, not necessarily kale. If you want kale specifically, use ケール.
このケールは固いですね。
This kale is tough, isn't it?