Gai Lan

Gai Lan is a slightly bitter leaf vegetable featuring thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems. It does look somewhat similar to broccoli with green flower heads at the top, which are considered sweet. The surrounding leaves have the sharpness and tang of chard or Buk Choy and are usually eaten as a leaf vegetable. Gai Lan is also know as Kai Lan, Chinese Broccoli, Chinese Kale. There are a number of different ways to prepare Gai Lan. The leaves or heads can make their way into soup, clay pot cooked dishes or stir-fried vegetables and meat. When it is eaten alone, especially in Cantonese style, it’ s enjoyed stir-fried with ginger and garlic. It may be boiled and eaten plain, since many enjoy the contrast between the sweet head buds and the bitter stems and leaves. Gai Lan is a healthy addition to your list of vegetables to eat. It can be great for pregnant women, as it is high in folate and calcium. In order to absorb this calcium you should prepare the Gai Lan with a little bit of fat, like oil in a salad dressing, or stir-frying in oil. For those in good health, or aiming to be healthier, there’ s no doubt that this delicious, low calorie leaf vegetable can be a good addition to the diet.