Kai-lan

Gai lan, known in Cantonese as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale and in Mandarin as jie lan, is a leafy vegetable highly esteemed in Asian cuisine. Characterized by its thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves, robust stems, and small broccoli-like florets, it is a member of the Brassica oleracea family. Gai lan possesses a flavor reminiscent of broccoli but with a slightly more bitter and robust nuance. When it blooms, its white flowers bear a resemblance to those of Hoary Stock. Notably, broccolini is a hybrid derived from broccoli and gai lan.

To cultivate gai lan, plant it in late summer for a harvest in early winter. Seedlings sown in autumn can endure through the winter months. The ideal time to harvest gai lan is just as the white flowers begin to bloom, which helps prevent the stems from becoming tough and woody.

Gai lan is a cornerstone of Chinese cooking, frequently stir-fried with ginger and garlic or boiled and served with oyster sauce. This versatile vegetable also appears in Vietnamese, Burmese, and Thai dishes. In Americanized Chinese cuisine, broccoli is sometimes used as a substitute for gai lan when it is unavailable.