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The Sea kale (Crambe maritima) belongs to Brassicaceae (the Mustard family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Europe, but is restricted to two discontinuous coastal regions. The Black Sea coast from Ukraine to Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, and from northern France and the British Isles to the Baltic Sea coast. It is salt-tolerant and grows in sandy or rocky gravel on the coast, reaching a height of about 75 cm. The leaves resemble smooth collards, a variant of kale, and are large, blue-green, heavily divided with wavy edges. It produces many white flowers in the spring. This plant is closely related to cabbage and was first cultivated as a vegetable in England in the early 18th century. It is still grown commercially in England by many farmers. It is called "Hamana" in Japanese. It was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period (1868-1912), but it is still rarely cultivated today.
Typically, seeds are sown in the spring, or the plant is propagated by division; it is then grown either by mounding soil around the base or in a shaded area to blanch the fleshy petioles, which are then harvested for consumption. Alternatively, the young shoots that emerge in early spring are used. In terms of recipes, they are often served boiled or sauteed in butter.
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