The Ultimate Guide To Kale

There's the cupcake craze. There's the burger obsession. There's the bacon-on-everything mania. And then, thankfully, in direct opposition to all of these things, there's the kale craze. People can't seem to get enough of kale chips, kale salad, kale and bean soup, kale slaw — you get the idea.

Click here to see The Ultimate Guide to Kale Slideshow

And that's great. Because kale is really, really healthy for you. It's a great source of vitamins A and C as well as manganese, and it is nearly unrivalled as a source of vitamin K, a primary agent in helping blood coagulate. It is also a good source of antioxidants, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, and is a good source of LDL cholesterol-lowering fiber. What's not to like?

While we would probably all agree that we should be eating more kale, approaching the vegetable for the first time can be a bit confusing. What type of kale should you get? What does a good bunch of kale look like? And once you've got a beautiful bunch of kale home from the farmers' market or supermarket, what do you do with it and how do you make it taste good?

Don't worry, we're here to answer all your questions. With the right recipes and accompanying relevant tips, you'll be eating kale practically every night of the week. Well, only if you want to, of course.

Will Budiaman is the Recipe Editor at The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @WillBudiaman.