Gailan, known as Chinese broccoli, is from the broccoli family. It has white flowers but the favored part of the vegetable is its stalk.
Young tender gailan (pictured first) is popular. The ideal size of gailan is about 8 inches long; this has tender stems and leaves (in second picture).
There is also gailan with stems about the thickness of a thumb or thicker. These thick stems are also popular; although the skin of the stem towards the base may get fibrous and need to be peeled off with a potato peeler to expose the tender, sweet inside of the stem. Some cooks remove and discard the big broad leaves of the thicker gailan although it is edible.
This vegetable can be cooked as in Yau Choy. For Yau Choy recipe, click here.
Gailan is also stir fried on it own with garlic, or with meat and chicken, and noodles. Blanch gailan and drain well before frying.
The taste of gailan flowers and stems is very similar to broccolini, which is a hybrid of gailan and broccoli. See photos to compare the difference. Gailan is the one with white flowers.
