Lacinato kale grows 60 to 90 centimetres (2 to 3 ft) tall[11] and has dark blue-green leaves with an "embossed texture"; its taste is described as "slightly sweeter and more delicate" than curly kale[12] and "slightly bitter [and] earthy".

[13] The lacinato variety is sometimes called dinosaur kale because its bumpy leaves may resemble what dinosaur skin looked like,[14] and perhaps because the unique appearance of the leaves is evocative of primordial flora.

[9] It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad.

[16] In Tuscan cuisine, lacinato kale is often used in ribollita (literally: "reboiled"), a thick, hearty soup made up of ingredients cooked for a meal the day before.

In Swedish and Finnish, it is known as svartkål or mustakaali, meaning 'black cabbage'.