Products - Kai Lan (Brassica alboglabra)
Kai Lan (Brassica alboglabra), also commonly known as "Chinese Broccoli", is part of the mustard family, similar to that of the European Broccoli. The youngest plant parts are preferred, as they are the sweetest and most tender part of the plant. Kai Lan can be eaten fresh or boiled, steamed or fried.
It is a stout plant, with most varieties growing to about 18inc (45cm) when mature. It has flat and broad leaves, and stalks that are thick and sturdy. Unlike their European counterparts, the Chinese Broccoli has loose buds that do not form a part of a large head. The flower stems are chunky, succulent and very smooth on average 1/2 to 3/4 in (1-2cm) in diameter. The whole flowering shoot is much "meatier" then the Choi Sum shoots.
Kai Lan is essentially green or a distinct blue-green, although most varieties have a slight grey, waxy outer look. Depending on the variety they can be dull or glossy, smooth or wrinkled, round or narrow and pointed.
Although it is a perennial plant, commercially it is grown as an annual crop. It can spreads up to 40 cm in diameter and can reach 45 cm in height. Kai Lan has some frost tolerance and can be grown all year round. However, it is vital to select the right variety for the time of year. Trials that have been conducted indicate that late Spring and Summer are the best times to grow Kai Lan. The growth of Kai Lan is very slow from Autumn onwards.
Kai Lan is normally direct seeded into rows 30-35 cm apart, with 10-20 cm between plants being recommended and hand thinning is needed to get the required plant spacing. The seed germinates quickly (3-6 days in summer, longer in winter). Harvesting can be ready in about 65 days in the summer months. If the plant spacings are reduced from 30 cm to 20 cm and to 10 cm, it will result in a progressive increase in fresh weight yield per hectare. However, at closer spacings the maturation process is slower and less fibrous plant tissue is produced. Also, the competition for the nutrients can reduce the mineral content of plants and the dense leaf canopy can make it harder to control pests and disease.
Harvesting is done by hand and the timing is critical. The shoots are cut well before any of the buds begin to open. Regrowth can lead to further harvests from the same crop. Only a few other vegetables can be harvested commercially more than once. Ideally it should be harvested in the cooler parts of the day and cooled to 0-2oC (not frozen) as soon after picking as possible and stored in a high relative humidity between 90-100%.
Chinese Broccoli, Chinese Kale, Jie Lan, Gai Lan and leaf broccoli.
Kai Lan is generally cooked in much the same way as Choi Sum usually stir-fried, either on its own or with meat and prawns.
Try our Kai Lan recipes:
Noodles with garlic beef and Chinese broccoli (kai Lan), Plum-glazed duck, Steamed Fish with Chilli Dressing served with Kai Lan, Squid with Chinese Broccoli (Kai Lai), Mixed vegetable stir-fry, Stir-fried eggplant tofu (pad makeua tao hu), and Scallops in Chilli Black Bean Sauce on Gai-Lan (Chinese broccoli) and Enoki Mushrooms.
UK: March-December 
CHINA: December-March
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