Hot stones. Pleasant scents. Wooden rollers. Deep breaths. Getting that stupid knot out of your shoulder. A massage sounds nice. Massaging kale? That sounds kind of…weird. What’s the deal with massaging kale anyway? Why do we do it?

Great questions. Glad to see you’re so interested in the field of leafy green education. Of all the greens we like to consume, kale is definitely the most stubborn. Not in its opinions on politics or nineties sit coms. We’re talking about its texture. Regardless of variety, raw kale is kind of tough, which is why we love cooking it—it holds its own and maintains integrity even in long-cooked soups, stews, and braises. But we also love eating it raw in salads, which is where that massaging process comes in. Working those greens with your hands a bit takes the edge off, and renders them tender enough to eat without cooking. You don't always have to do it—more on that later—but if you're going to, here's how to do it.

No stems, no problems.

Let’s start with the stems. And by start, we mean throw them the hell out. Kale stems are tough and fibrous. We don’t need that. You can slice them out with a knife or rip them out by running you fingers along either side of the stem. It’s less precise, but it works.

Now, we massage. Hit those leaves with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar, and then start crunching them between your hands. The trick here is not to over-massage. You know what’s worse than tough kale? Mushy kale. Over-massaged kale loses that texture we love so much. Rub the kale leaves together between your fingers, until they just start to wilt. The way to tell if you’ve hit the right point, as it is with most things, is to taste. You want to massage the leaves to the point where it you can feel a crisp and resistance in the bite, but aren’t struggling to tear away or chew. It should feel more crispy than rubbery.