Kai-lan (Brassica rapa Alboglabra group)
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Kai-lan (traditional Chinese: 芥蘭; simplified Chinese: 芥兰; Pinyin: jièlán; Cantonese Yale: gaai3 laan4; 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. It is also common in Vietnamese cuisine, where it is called cải làn or cải rổ.
The names kai-lan and its alternate version, gai-lan, derive from Cantonese.
Categories: Vegetable stubs | Leaf vegetables | Brassica | Cantonese cuisine | Hong Kong cuisine
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