In the early 2010s, a humble brassica—kale—escaped the confines of garnish trays and soup bowls to become a cultural phenomenon. Often dubbed a “superfood,” kale’s rapid ascent wasn’t spontaneous; it was a carefully constructed trend magnified by interconnected multipliers. From subtle spikes in internet searches in 2009 to a full-blown infatuation by 2014 in the U.S., kale’s trajectory reveals how media outlets, chefs, influencers, and businesses collaborate—intentionally or not—to trigger and sustain consumer interest. Drawing insights from the book Nutrition in Transition, this report dissects the kale phenomenon, tracing its rise, its setbacks in Europe, and the mechanics that allowed it to become more than just a fleeting health craze. For food professionals, kale’s path offers enduring lessons in trend engineering and cultural adoption.
Trend Snapshot / Factbox
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Trend name & definition | Kale – a leafy cabbage intentionally positioned as a health and wellness icon |
| Main ingredients or key components | Vitamins A, C, K; fiber; antioxidants; polyphenols |
| Current distribution | U.S. supermarkets, farmers’ markets, juice bars, snacks, restaurants |
| Well‑known champions | The New York Times, celebrity chefs, smoothie brands, kale chips |
| Hashtags & social media | #kale, #kalechips, #superfood, #kalelife |
| Target demographic | Health-aware Millennials & Gen Z; flexitarians and wellness influencers |
| “Wow factor” | Dense nutrition, versatile recipes, visual appeal, influencer endorsement |
| Trend phase | Peaked 2014 (U.S.), stabilized high demand; late adopter in UK/CH; niche in DE |
Multipliers at Play: From Neighborhood Buzz to National Boom
Every trend begins with a whisper. Someone like Mr. Miller in the neighborhood—enthusiastic, local, and genuine—can spark curiosity with a kale salad at a potluck. These community-level influencers are the first rung of what we call “multipliers.” Individually modest, these personal endorsements set the stage for escalation. When media outlets pick up the cue, chefs develop kale-forward recipes, and supermarkets stock stabler quantities, the amplification intensifies. In the case of kale, early search activity began around April 2009 in the U.S.—a “basic flicker.” Alone, such flickers rarely birth trends. But as Nutrition in Transition posits, when multipliers cluster and interact, they can propel a trend into the mainstream.
Kale Trend Journey
How multipliers shaped a leafy green into a global food trend
© Wild Bite Club | Based on Nutrition in Transition
U.S. search interest begins to rise. Kale leaves the farmer’s market niche.
First recipe blogs, local health columns, and food pages mention kale.
Chefs and public figures endorse kale on talk shows and social media.
Kale chips, smoothies, and fresh-cut bags hit mainstream retail shelves.
Kale dominates health headlines. Multipliers hit max reach and credibility.
A viral TV segment triggers a search spike—but the trend fades quickly.
Kale normalizes in U.S. diets. Steady consumption remains post-hype.
Rising Interest and the Kale Frenzy in the U.S.
From early stirrings in 2009, kale’s U.S. search popularity grew steadily until reaching a fever pitch in January 2014. That month marked multiple crescendo moments: menus nationwide rotated kale into smoothies, salads, chips, and mains; T.V. shows featured kale-chef mashups; brand endorsements flooded Instagram with #kalelife. The prestigious New York Times drove the narrative, with articles showcasing health benefits, recipe variations, and budget-friendly meal ideas. Once the elite media backing was in place, product innovation followed at full tilt: kale chips, pre-washed salad bags, kale smoothies, even kale nachos. The USDA and Bloomberg chronicled the ripple effect: from 2007 to 2012, kale production jumped ~60%, later, between 2012 and 2017, kale acreage soared another 144%. These data anchor a media-driven escalation in concrete terms.
Crucially, no single originator started the trend. It was a symphony of smaller voices converging into a powerful chord. As Nutrition in Transition emphasizes, it’s never about one celebrity or article. Multipliers—from niche bloggers to mainstream chefs—operated at overlapping scales, steadily increasing public awareness and credibility.
Transatlantic Drip: Kale’s Uneven Adoption in Europe
Though the U.S. was swept by kale mania, Europe reacted more cautiously. In the UK, search interest and sales grew—but lagged several years behind the American curve. In Switzerland, the pattern arrived even later. Germany, the homeland of traditional “Grünkohl,” saw almost no sustained trend. A fleeting spike in August 2016—sparked by a feature on a startup TV show that rebranded the dish as “kale”—generated temporary buzz. Yet within weeks, search volume and brand interest receded to pre-hype levels.
Harvest data supports the muted uptake: German kale yields between 2010 and 2019 fluctuated modestly, with no clear growth trend—2012 and 2019 were the lowest, but without consistent upward movement. That tells the story of multipliers that fizzled before fully igniting.
Media coverages in Europe highlighted kale’s U.S. success, but supply-side caution stunted multiplier momentum. German farmers, restaurateurs, and grocers hesitated; planting decisions relied on assured demand—a feedback loop that kale never closed. Risk-averse conditions prevented the kind of investment needed to amplify interest.
Investment Under Uncertainty: The Multiplier-Supply Feedback Loop
Trends don’t just spread—they’re fueled by investment. When chefs, farmers, processors, brands, and retailers decide to back a product, they make a bet—with opportunity costs. Choosing kale over other produce, menu real estate, or packaging innovation means prioritizing a trend. In the U.S., early adopters gambled on kale’s rising appeal. Restaurants added kale bowls and wraps, supermarkets ordered larger shipments, snack producers launched kale chips, and farmers converted acreage. That bet paid off, reinforcing it as a wise move and encouraging further investment.
In Europe, that cycle didn’t start. Without early confidence, suppliers held back, preventing the supply-demand spiral needed to elevate kale from niche to norm. The result: no sustained multiplier activity, no trend entrenchment, no transformation of consumer habits.
Beyond the Peak: Kale’s Institutionalization
Post-2014, American media interest cooled—but demand remained strong. Kale evolved from a trendword to a category staple. It transitioned from peak-of-curve buzz to long-term kitchen ingredient. What began with kale chips in snack aisles became kale in casual dinner orders and grocery checkout lines. Costco, Whole Foods, smoothie chains—all still stocked kale. This enduring presence illustrates that successful trends, once properly scaffolded, can outlive their original hype cycle.
A Blueprint in Multipliers: What Kale Teaches Food Professionals
Kale’s trajectory lays out a replicable formula for diffusing food trends:
- Start small—build basic flicker. Monitor early signals: niche blogs, local events, consumer curiosity.
- Assemble layered multipliers. Engage micro- and macro-influencers, media, chefs, and content creators in parallel.
- Catalyze with commitment. Create recipes, media coverage, product innovation that interlock.
- Wind in supply-side bets. Encourage farmers and brands to invest in production and merchandising.
- Anchor the trend. Support sustained presence through accessible products and consumer familiarity.
Kale didn’t just happen—it was built by interaction between multiple forces. Recognizing and coordinating them is how food trends are made.
Implications for Future Food Trends
- No single “trendsetter”—but a chorus. Kale thrived because multiple voices echoed the narrative.
- Timely risk-taking equals reward. U.S. supply-side players stayed ahead of demand, creating infrastructure that locked in uptake.
- Market nuances matter. Borrowed trends don’t automatically take root—cultural resonance and structural readiness count.
- Momentum isn’t hype alone. Sustainable growth comes from habit adoption—not just media saturation.
Final Word
The kale story underlines the potency of multipliers. Their aligned actions—from grassroots conversation to headline coverage, from kitchen tables to production fields—can create and sustain a food movement. Kale transformed from garnish to cultural staple not because it should have, but because a network of multipliers made it. For food professionals, the tactic is clear: cultivate influence, catalyze supply decisions, and design trend ecosystems that are resilient, not fleeting.
✅ Read more in Nutrition in Transition
And just as multipliers shape consumer demand, shifting climate conditions increasingly influence what ends up on our plates—discover how in our report on How Climate Change Is Rewriting the Global Fruit and Vegetable Map.