gaai3 laan2芥蘭芥兰
Jyutpinggaai3 laan2
Yalegaai láan
Definition
Chinese kale or Chinese broccoli, a leafy vegetable with slightly bitter, crunchy stems.
colloquialfooddim sum
How it's used
Chinese kale is a staple in Cantonese cuisine, often served blanched with oyster sauce or stir-fried with beef. The texture is notably firmer and crunchier than leafy greens like 菜心, which makes it a preferred choice for high-heat wok cooking. It is considered a classic vegetable for dim sum and casual dinner menus.
Measure word
po1樖pōExamples
How about having stir-fried beef with Chinese kale tonight?
This Chinese kale is very tender and not bitter at all.
Related words
Common phrases
Chinese kale with oyster sauce
Stir-fried beef with Chinese kale
Common mistake
Beginners often confuse 芥蘭 with 菜心. While both are common, 芥蘭 has thicker, waxier leaves and a distinct bitter aftertaste, whereas 菜心 is generally sweeter and softer.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
