Gai lan explained

Gai lan
Species:Brassica oleracea
Group:Alboglabra Group
Origin:unknown
Pic:Gai lan (Chinese characters).svg
Piccap:"Gai lan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Picupright:0.45
T:芥蘭
S:芥兰
P:jièlán
J:gaai3 laan4*2
Poj:keh-nâ
Lmz:ka¹lae³
Showflag:pj
L:mustard orchid
My:ကိုက်လန်
Tha:Thai: คะน้า in Thai pronounced as /kʰā.náː/
Rtgs:khana
Vie:cải làn or cải rổ
Khm:Central Khmer: ខាត់ណា
Malay:Kailan

Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli,[1] or Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) 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.[2]

Cultivation

Gai lan is a cool season crop that grows best between 18C28C. 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.[3]

Hybrids

Broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and gai lan.[4]

Uses

Culinary

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.

In Americanized Chinese food (like beef and broccoli),[5] gai lan was frequently replaced by broccoli, when gai lan was not available.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: A Dictionary of Hong Kong English: Words from the Fragrant Harbor . Patrick J. Cummings . Hans-Georg Wolf . 62 . Hong Kong University Press . 2011 . 9789888083305 .
  2. Web site: Kai-lan – Cuisine of Myanmar (Burma) . 2023-05-10 . Trek Zone . en.
  3. Book: Rana . M. K. . Reddy . P. Karthik . Vegetable Crop Science . 2018 . CRC Press . 978-1138035218 . 289–298 . 1st.
  4. Web site: Broccolini. Washington State University. 2018-08-14.
  5. Web site: 2008-06-02 . History and Culture: Chinese Food New University UC Irvine . 2023-05-23 . en-US.
  6. Web site: When authenticity means a heaping plate of Tex-Mex. Hung. Melissa. 2019-10-31. San Francisco Chronicle. en-US. 2019-11-05.