Chinese broccoli

noun

variants or less commonly Chinese kale

: a leafy garden plant (Brassica oleracea alboglabra synonym Brassica alboglabra) that has thick, smooth stems, waxy bluish-green leaves in loose rosettes, and small, usually white flowers

Chinese broccoli has prominent green stems and leaves and is never as compact as regular broccoli …

—Georgia Tasker, Miami Herald, 8 Sept. 1985

also : the stems and young leaves of Chinese broccoli used as food

The lightly sauteed Chinese broccoli, with its hint of bitterness, offered a fine contrast to the sweet flavors elsewhere on the table.

—Candace Page, Burlington (Vermont) Free Press, 10 Jan. 2008

Note: The plant and the food are also called gai lan.

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

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