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Gai lan

(Redirected from Chinese Kale)
"Kai-lan" redirects here. For the television show, see Ni Hao, Kai-Lan.

Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli,[1] or Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra)[2] is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. A Brassica oleracea cultivar, gai lan is in the group alboglabra (from Latin albus "white" and glabrus "hairless"). When gone to flower, its white blossoms resemble that of its cousin Matthiola incana or hoary stock. The flavor is very similar to that of broccoli, but noticeably stronger and slightly more bitter.[3]

Gai lan
Gai lan
SpeciesBrassica oleracea
Cultivar groupAlboglabra Group
Originunknown
Gai lan
"Gai lan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese芥蘭
Simplified Chinese芥兰
Hanyu Pinyinjièlán
Jyutpinggaai3 laan4*2
Literal meaningmustard orchid
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinjièlán
IPA[tɕjê.lǎn]
Wu
Shanghainese
Romanization		ka¹lae³
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpinggaai3 laan4*2
IPA[kaj˧.lɐn˩]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJkeh-nâ
Burmese name
Burmeseကိုက်လန်
Vietnamese name
Vietnamesecải làn or cải rổ
Thai name
Thaiคะน้า [kʰā.náː]
RTGSkhana
Khmer name
Khmerខាត់ណា
Wikispecies has information related to Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra.
Gai lan plant growing in a vegetable garden

Cultivation

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Gai lan is a cool season crop that grows best between 18 and 28 °C (64 and 82 °F). It withstands hotter summer temperatures than other brassicas such as broccoli or cabbage. Gai lan is harvested around 60–70 days after sowing, just before the flowers start to bloom. The stems can become woody and tough when the plant bolts.[4] It is generally harvest for market when 15-20cm (6-8in) tall however it can also be produced as "baby gai lan." The "baby" version is cultivated through crowding of seedings and generous fertilization, they resemble Brussels sprout although they have looser folds.[5]

Hybrids

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Broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and gai lan.[6]

Uses

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Culinary

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The stems and leaves of gai lan are eaten widely in Chinese cuisine; common preparations include gai lan stir-fried with ginger and garlic, and boiled or steamed and served with oyster sauce. It is also common in Vietnamese, Burmese and Thai cuisine.[3] In Chinese cuisine it is often associated with dim sum restaurants.[5]

In Americanized Chinese food (like beef and broccoli),[7] gai lan was frequently replaced by broccoli, when gai lan was not available.[8]

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    Gai lan trimmed and prepared for cooking.
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    Baby gai lan served Cantonese-style.
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    Phat khana mu krop: Thai-style fried Chinese broccoli with crispy pork belly.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Patrick J. Cummings; Hans-Georg Wolf (2011). A Dictionary of Hong Kong English: Words from the Fragrant Harbor. Hong Kong University Press. p. 62. ISBN 9789888083305.
  2. ^ "Brassica oleracea L. var. alboglabra (L. H. Bailey) Musil". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Kai-lan – Cuisine of Myanmar (Burma)". Trek Zone. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  4. ^ Rana, M. K.; Reddy, P. Karthik (2018). Vegetable Crop Science (1st ed.). CRC Press. pp. 289–298. ISBN 978-1138035218.
  5. ^ a b Hutton, Wendy (2004). A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables. Singapore: Periplus Editions. pp. 42–43. ISBN 0794600786.
  6. ^ "Broccolini". Washington State University. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  7. ^ "History and Culture: Chinese Food | New University | UC Irvine". 2008-06-02. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  8. ^ Hung, Melissa (2019-10-31). "When authenticity means a heaping plate of Tex-Mex". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
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  •   Media related to Gai lan at Wikimedia Commons
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