Flavors of Microgreens
Microgreens’ claim to fame is their nutritive content. But that’s not the only goodness that makes them the superstar of healthy food!
Microgreens have a variety of flavors and textures--from sweet to spicy, smooth to crunchy and flavorful to mild. Some microgreens, like radish, will make you feel like you are floating on Aladdin’s carpet through the Disney World of flavors. While others, like cabbage, are a mild and subtle refresher to top off any food. When choosing the right microgreen type to top off your favorite dish, or mix a handful into a smoothie, it can be difficult to find the best fit. This is why we have compiled the flavor, texture, and details of each type of microgreens into one, perfect guide, so you no longer have to worry about choosing the right microgreen!
Cabbage
Flavor: mild, slightly sweet, fresh
Texture: crunchy, juicy
Cabbage microgreens work as a great garnish for any dish that needs a punch of color; there can be green cabbage microgreens or the purple ones. We like to use the purple ones for the reddish purple stems and bright green leaves can make any dish picture-worthy! We recommend using them to compliment spicy food or food with intense flavors. These microgreens will make food look delicious and elevate their nutrition, without disturbing the flavor balance. It neither enhances nor subdues the flavors, but just adds a dimension that is sometimes necessary to balance flavors. Besides its beautiful color and nutritional value, it’s a great substitute for eating a mature cabbage, which might not usually make it to the list of favorite vegetables. Check out our blog post on nutrition for more information, as boosting the nutritional value of food is truly the hidden agenda of the microgreens.
Radish
Flavor: spicy, powerful, intense
Texture: crunchy, soft stem
Elevate any flavorless and mild dish with radish microgreens! Despite their small size, these microgreens have a peppery and strong taste that is similar to their full grown radish counterpart. Rather than enduring the long process of washing, thinly slicing, grating, or chopping raw radishes, cut a handful of radish microgreens from your garden for a similar flavor, without the strong and bitter taste of raw radishes. Microgreens are a wonderful replacement to the real vegetable as without compromising on the taste, they work as a perfect substitute.
Broccoli
Flavor: slightly spicy, earthy, mild
Texture: delicate, smooth
Broccoli microgreens can be added to sandwiches and salads for a boost in nutritive content, like Vitamin A, calcium and iron. If you aren’t a fan of eating broccoli, but want the benefits, this is the perfect microgreen for you. Steamed broccoli often has a sulphuric smell that might render a dish as unappetizing, and substituting real broccoli with broccoli microgreens resolves this issue. While not as powerful as other types of microgreens, broccoli has a subtle flavor to add a touch of freshness and spiciness. Their moss green color will also brighten any dish.
Kale
Flavor: sweet, nutty
Texture: stringy, soft
Kale microgreens are tall and sturdy. You can never go wrong with adding kale microgreens to salads and sandwiches. Since they have a stringy texture, they should be chopped and then used. The nuttiness of the kale microgreens work as a wonderful substitute to mature kale leaves that are not in season and are more chewy.
Pea Shoots
Flavor: extremely sweet, juicy, regular pea flavor
Texture: crunchy, crisp
Are you eating regular pea shoots or pea microgreens? You won’t be able to tell the difference! Pea shoot microgreens taste exactly like peas, with a sweet and delicious flavor. We recommend adding these microgreens to Asian and African cuisine dishes, or any food that needs a drizzle of sweetness. Green peas are often overused in dishes, so using pea shoots instead will provide a great alternative without compromising the flavor.
They have the exact same flavor of snow peas as well. We have used them in ramen, stir fry and Thai curries as a substitute for snow peas when in a rush or when fewer vegetables are desired.
Pea Shoot Microgreens