Kai-lan 芥蘭


Traditional Chinese 芥蘭
Simplified Chinese 芥兰
Literal meaning "mustard orchid"
[show]Transcriptions
Burmese name
Burmese ကုက်လန်
Thai name
Thai ผักคะน้า (phak khana)
Vietnamese name
Quốc ngữ cải làn or cải rổ
Kai-lan

Kai-lan, cultivar unknown
Species
Brassica oleracea
Cultivar group
Alboglabra Group
Origin
unknown
Cultivar group members
unknown
Kai-lan, also known as Chinese broccoli, is a 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. Broccoli and kai-lan belong to the same species Brassica oleracea, but kai-lan is in the group alboglabra [Latin albus+glabrus white and hairless]. Its flavor is very similar to that of broccoli, but a bit bitter. Broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and kai-lan, produced by Mann Packing Company, Inc.

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 or steamed and served with oyster sauce. It is also common in Vietnamese cuisine, Myanmar (as ကိုက်လန်) and Thai cuisine.

[edit] Gallery


Baby kai-lan served Cantonese style


Phak khana mu krop: Thai style fried Chinese broccoli with crispy pork

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Bok choy
Kale
Rapeseed
Rapini

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gai_lan