Seed Keepers

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

Kai-lan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai-lan

Kai-lan (also written as gai-lan) is the Cantonese name for a vegetable that is also known as Chinese broccoli. It 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 slightly more bitter. It is also noticeably stronger. 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.

Kai-lan can be sown in late summer for early-winter harvesting. Seedlings planted in autumn will last all winter.^{[citation needed]}