Vegetable Seeds - Chinese Broccoli, Kaillaan

Grow Chinese Broccoli, also known as Kaillaan or Wan Shen, an easy-going and late-maturing Chinese green vegetable. This non-GMO, heirloom has large, tender leaves and short, thick, crisp stems. Most popular in Chinese cuisine, it is nutrient-rich with vitamin A, potassium, and folic acid. Plant in open fields for best results and avoid containers for lower yield. Maturation takes 60-65 days, and it thrives in warm or cool seasons.

Kailaan (Brassica oleracea) Kale,

• 1 oz - Approximately 9,000 Seeds
• 4 oz - Approximately 36,000 Seeds
• 1 lb - Approximately 144,000 Seeds

Kaillaan Chinese Broccoli: Heirloom Open Pollinated Also known as Chinese Kale, Oriental Broccoli or Gai Lan.

Culinary Tips - Blanche then stir-fry stalks, leaves and buds with garlic, a little sugar and some rice wine or boil and dress with oyster sauce. Use in soups, sukiyaki, and tempura. Can be cooked like choy sum. Blanching before cooking helps tenderize stems and leaves.

Other names for this Asian vegetable...

• China: gai lan, gailaan, kai lan tsoi, cai lan, jie lan, chair lan, gelancai, guy lon, kai lan
• Japan: kailaan, kairan
• Laos: phakkhana
• Malaysia: kai lan
• Philippines: gailon
• Thailand: pak kana, phakkhana
• Vietnam: cai ro, phav kas nas, zaub nkauja fa, zaub pav kasna

Chinese Broccoli is totally different than the Broccoli to which most Americans have become accustomed. Its fresh, baby leaves are wonderful in salads or, once pre-blanched, are a sweet, tasty and crunchy addition to Asian stir-fries with rice or pasta. You may also slice its stems for a bittersweet bite for soups and stews.
Both a bit frost and heat-tolerant, fast-growing Kaillaan Chinese Broccoli is prized for its edible flowering stalk with pretty white blossoms. Preferring cooler temperatures, it may be grown for harvest in late summer and fall. It is best to pick it young, with thin, 6 to 8 stalks, before the white flower buds have opened. For the best flavor, cut it in the morning to reduce water stress. New side shoots will likely form. Its glossy, blue-green leaves may be refrigerated up to 10 days prior to use. To give a rich, peppery punch to stir-fries, try cooking it with a drizzle of sesame oil, a little minced garlic, a sprinkle of sugar and a splash of white rice wine. Suprisingly lovely. (OP.)
Average seed life: 3 year
Planting Instructions 
Heirloom/Open Pollinated Kale is a short season brassica that performs best in cool weather and can tolerate frost when established. For spring planting of Kale, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost, or direct sow after danger of hard frost.

In warm climates you can plant Kale in late summer for fall harvest. In hot climates you can plant Kale in the fall for a winter harvest. Plant Kale in full sun in more mild climates, or partial shade in very hot summer climates. Sow Kale seeds ½" deep, 3" apart, in rows 18-24" apart. Germination should occur in 5-17 days in soil 55-75°F.

When Kale plants reach 3-5", thin to 12-18" apart. Outer leaves can be harvested at about 8-10" long, Avoid picking the inner leaves to avoid damaging the growing point. A light frost brings out the sweetness in fall or winter crops.