 |
| Kai Lan / Chinese Broccoli growing in the vegetable patch |
After quite a few months of growing in our garden, the Chinese Broccoli (also known as Gai Lan, Kai Lan, Kai Laan, Chinese Kale) has finally grown into a decent size. Earlier, we harvested smaller leaves from the same Kai Lan, when it was much smaller.
My homegrown Kai Lan does not seem to have the thick stems that the store bought variety has. I am not sure whether this is down to the variety of the vegetable or the way in which they grow them, but in Chinese cuisine, Kai Lan with big fat juicy stems is typically viewed as being more desirable.
This Kai Lan was grown over the winter in the UK, and has survived some very extreme conditions. In such cold weather, it has taken a long while (months!) to get to this sort of size though.
I grew this Kai Lan from seeds by Minara Seeds, purchased in Sydney, Australia. You can find these at your local Chinese supermarket.
In the UK, you can buy Kai Lan seeds from
Chiltern Seeds
Sow Seeds UK
In the U.S, you can try Kai Lan seeds from:
Kitazawa
Read also:
Growing Chinese Vegetables: Kai Lan/ Chinese Broccoli
