Kale rises from bitter harvest to popular, healthy 'superfood'

Kale is used as an ingredient to create a wide range of products, including kale noodles, dumplings, pastries, yogurt and vegetable juices. CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: In a series of reports titled "Claims to Fame", China Daily looks at how some regions have earned wealth and recognition through specific products to advance economic development.

Twenty years ago, Wang Cuifen took her first bite of kale. The memory of that experience remains vivid to this day.

"It was awful, not just bad, but almost inedible. Bitter, astringent and even a bit salty," she said. "What could foreigners possibly want with such a terrible vegetable?"

Today, the kale she grows tastes different.

"It's sweet, crisp, juicy and has a pleasant aroma," Wang said in early March, while standing in her greenhouse in Gaomi county of Weifang, Shandong province.

The greenhouse was filled with kale and she casually plucked a few leaves and ate them. "I eat a few leaves every day," she said.

At 56, Wang is full of energy. She starts her day at 5 am and works tirelessly in her fields until evening.

"It's all thanks to eating kale," she said with a hearty laugh when someone complimented her on her vitality.

Wang attributes the transformation in the taste of her kale to the use of bio-organic fertilizers. She proudly refers to her kale as "pregnancy and infant-grade food", safe for even the most vulnerable consumers.