Gai lan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gai lan |
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Gai lan
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| Species | Brassica oleracea |
| Cultivar group | Alboglabra Group |
| Origin | unknown |
| Gai lan | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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"Gai lan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 芥蘭 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 芥兰 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | jièlán | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jyutping | gaai3 laan4*2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | mustard orchid | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Burmese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burmese | ကိုက်လန် | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vietnamese | cải làn or cải rổ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai name | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thai | คะน้า [kʰā.náː] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| RTGS | khana | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Gai lan, also known as kai-lan or Chinese broccoli, is a leafy green vegetable. It has thick, flat, shiny blue-green leaves and thick stems. It also grows small flower buds, which look a bit like tiny broccoli florets. Gai lan is part of the same plant family as regular broccoli, called Brassica oleracea. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra. The word "alboglabra" comes from Latin words meaning "white" and "hairless." When gai lan flowers, its white blooms look similar to a plant called Hoary Stock. Gai lan tastes a lot like broccoli, but its flavor is usually stronger and a little more bitter.
Contents
What is a Hybrid Plant?
A hybrid plant is created when two different types of plants are crossed. This is like having a baby that gets traits from both parents.
Broccolini: A Mix of Two Veggies
Broccolini is a great example of a hybrid vegetable. It was made by crossing regular broccoli with gai lan. This gives broccolini a taste and look that combines both of its "parents."
How Gai Lan Grows
Gai lan is a plant that farmers can grow in different seasons.
Planting and Harvesting Gai Lan
You can plant gai lan seeds in late summer to pick the vegetable in early winter. If you plant young gai lan plants in the autumn, they will keep growing all winter long.
Like other plants in the Brassica family, gai lan is best picked when its small white flowers are just starting to bloom. If the plant grows too much and its stems become hard, it means the plant has "bolted." When a plant bolts, its stems can become woody and tough, making them less tasty to eat.
How People Use Gai Lan
Gai lan is a very popular vegetable in many types of cooking, especially in Asian food.
Gai Lan in Asian Dishes
In Chinese cooking, gai lan is often stir-fried with ginger and garlic. It can also be boiled or steamed and served with oyster sauce. Gai lan is also a common ingredient in Vietnamese, Burmese, and Thai cuisine.
Gai Lan in American Chinese Food
Sometimes, in Americanized Chinese restaurants, regular broccoli was used instead of gai lan. This happened when gai lan was hard to find.
Images for kids
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Gai lan
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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
In Spanish: Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra para niños
