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
Talking about kale in the context of health, smoothies, or superfoods
A common term for kale smoothies, often associated with health trends.
Commenting on the bitterness or toughness of kale
Means 'has a bitter taste'. Commonly used for leafy greens like 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.
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.
I always drink a kale smoothie in the morning.
Kale chips, a popular healthy snack.
Kale chips are delicious.
Kale has a slightly bitter taste.
Means 'tough' or 'hard', often used to describe kale's fibrous texture.
This kale is tough, isn't it?