What’s the Difference Between Broccoli, Broccolini, Broccoli Rabe, and Chinese Broccoli? (2024)

FAQs

What’s the Difference Between Broccoli, Broccolini, Broccoli Rabe, and Chinese Broccoli? ›

The Difference Between Broccoli, Broccolini, Broccoli Rabe, and Chinese Broccoli. Despite their similar names, what sets these winter veggies apart is the plant family they belong to. While broccoli, Broccolini, and Chinese broccoli are closely related to cabbage, the closest kin to broccoli rabe is turnips.

While Chinese broccoli and broccolini are both in the same family as the regular old broccoli you're familiar with, broccoli rabe is something else entirely. It's actually more closely related to a turnip, even though it has those little buds, similar to those found on broccoli florets.

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli, and also belongs to the cabbage family. Broccolini have long, firm stalks (thinner and more tender than those of broccoli), a few small leaves and small florets.

Introduction. Chinese broccoli is also known as Chinese kale, floweing kale (English) kailan (Cantonese), Gai lan, Jie lan (Mandarin), cai rô (Vietnamese), and Kat Na (Khmer). This crop resembles our more familiar broccoli with a longer stem and very small head.

Broccolini is actually a cross-breed of broccoli and Chinese broccoli, a leafy vegetable commonly referred to as gai lan in Cantonese or jie lan in Mandarin.

The Chinese broccoli nutritional content is similar to other members of Brassica oleracea, like broccoli and kale. It doesn't have as much protein or fiber, but gai lan has more folate. Overall, if you're looking to add more variety to your diet, gai lan is a great choice.

Though Chinese broccoli has a distinct taste and texture, you can substitute it with a number of other greens, including yu choy, bok choy, and broccolini.

Like many leafy green vegetables, Chinese broccoli is a powerhouse of nutrients. It contains high amounts of beta carotene. Beta carotene helps prevent age related macular degeneration (ARMD), which causes vision loss and eventually blindness. Additionally, Chinese broccoli is a good source of vitamin E.

Broccolini, the cousin of broccoli, is the perfect vegetable. Not only is it a milder flavor than traditional broccoli, but it provides more health benefits, too! This hearty green veggie has all these wonderful vitamins and minerals that promote oral and overall health: Vitamins C, B1, B2, B5, B6, E, K, PP.

You eat the entire broccolini, floret and stem! (You can cook the core of regular broccoli stems too, but you need to trim away and discard the outsides first—see this post for the best ever Roasted Broccoli for a tutorial.)

Do you eat the stems of Chinese broccoli? ›

All parts of Chinese broccoli are edible. Before cooking, trim off the bottom end roughly half to one-inch. For thicker stems, you can dice them or slice on diagonal. The stems require longer cook time than the leafy parts so saute the stems first.

"Specialty" broccoli varieties include Sprouting Broccoli, Broccolini, and the wonderfully fractal 'Romanesco' broccoli, an Italian heirloom that looks like a broccoli-cauliflower cross. Sprouting broccoli are primitive broccoli plants that were the forerunners of today's heading broccoli.

Kai-lan is the Cantonese name for Chinese broccoli. This variety has flat, glossy, blue green leaves with thick juicy stems. The RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) helps gardeners choose the best plants for their garden. This variety has slightly wrinkled leaves like Kale.

Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli (also called gai lan or Chinese kale). It looks a lot like Chinese broccoli—the stalks are long and lean—but instead of big leaves, it has florets more like common broccoli.

With its small florets and long, slender stems, broccolini (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) can be easily confused with broccoli rabe. But its flavor is sweeter, more refined and delicate. And its stem looks (even tastes) more like asparagus.

Yu Choy is another variety of Chinese broccoli that has thinner stems than the typical Chinese broccoli but brings the same strong flavor and bitterness to dishes like this noodle stir fry. We sometimes use yu choy tips as a substitute for mellower bok choy.

Turnip Greens: Turnip greens are the top part of the turnip root and are an excellent substitute. They have a flavor that is a bit peppery and are similar to the broccoli rabe flavor.

Chinese broccoli, also known as Gai Lan or 芥蓝 (jiè lán), offers a unique culinary experience for the discerning Australian market. With its strong, upright growth and high-domed, dark-blue green heads, it's a visually striking vegetable that promises both flavor and nutrition.

Broccoli rabe (Brassica ruvo) is also called rapini, raab, or rabe (both pronounced "rahb"), bitter broccoli, and turnip broccoli. The Italian name cime di rape means "turnip tops" and in Italy it's also known as rapini or broccoleti di rapa, while friarelli is common in Naples.