Broccokale

[Undead Molly]

Hi everybody!



This is a leafy vegetable of which my boyfriend are very fond. Depending on who you ask it's called gai lan, kai lan, Thai broccoli, mustard orchid, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale. In case you don't know, it has the stem shape, flowerish heads, and tenderness of broccolini but also nice long kale-ish leaves. The flavor is like halfway between kale and broccoli. Since we feel unsure what to correctly call it we just refer to it as broccokale. It's so delicious and very nutritious, too.

It has a Facebook page, of course, which you can visit here.

Anyway, does anyone know the best way to clean this vegetable? It seems like no matter how much I soak and rinse and try to prep it I still end up with a little of this very fine grit in the final product. I guess maybe it's hiding in the little flower bud heads, but I don't want to ditch them or tear them apart. Any tips?

[Alice Levitt]

I generally lather up my hands and rub the leaves and stems down as if I'm washing my hands. That way, I can feel any little pockets of grit. If you ever feel lazy, stop by 99 Asian Market. They usually have some prepared on their buffet for super-cheap.

[devanaturals]

I love Brocokale, it us yummy, stirfried with garlic in rice bran oil. Along with fish sauce in fresh garlic and green hot peppers! Ummm, gonna go get some....

[JasonFrishman]

where can i get this in town?
(does the 99 Asian market have it raw in addition to prepped?)

ah, seeing that pic you posted reminds me of how much i miss the asian food markets in Boston!

[Undead Molly]

Jason,

I get it in bunches at Thai Phat on North Street. I love Thai Phat! I don't know why the Google maps entry reads "Phat Thai".

I think a lot of people don't shop there because it smells weird, but they sell durian fruits and tons of fresh and dried fish in a small space so of course it's going to smell funky. Aside from broccokale I also usually find that their big bags of mung bean sprouts, mangoes, pineapple, garlic and other produce are cheaper than at the grocery store. You can stock up on any Asian cuisine sauces, condiments, tools, or supplies you can think of plus unusual treats like red bean popcicles and lychee gummies.