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CHINESE BROCCOLI

Kai-lan
Kai-lan, cultivar unknown
Species
Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group
Alboglabra Group
Origin
unknown
Cultivar Group members
unknown

Kai-lan (Traditional Chinese: 芥蘭; Simplified Chinese: 芥兰; pinyin: gaìlán; literally "mustard orchid"), also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, is a slightly bitter leaf vegetable featuring thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems and a small number of tiny, almost vestigial flower heads similar to those of broccoli. As a group of Brassica oleracea kai-lan is of the same species of plant as broccoli and kale. Its flavor is very similar to that of broccoli, though not identical, being a bit sweeter.

Kai-lan is eaten widely in Chinese cuisine, and especially in Cantonese cuisine. Common preparations include kai-lan stir-fried with ginger and garlic, and boiled kai-lan served with oyster sauce. Unlike broccoli, where only the flowering parts are normally eaten, with kai-lan the leaves and stems are eaten as well, normally sliced into bits the proper size and shape to be eaten with chopsticks.

The pronunciation kai-lan and its alternate version gai-lan are Cantonese.

See also