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.

Taste: Broccoli has a slightly bittersweet flavor and thick, meaty stems. Broccolini is milder and sweeter than broccoli, with firm, crunchy stems, and leafy florets. Broccoli rabe has a strong, bitter taste throughout, from its stems to its leaves.

Chinese broccoli, also known as Gai Lan, is similar to broccoli raab but is sweeter, less bitter and leafier. Chinese broccoli has broad blue-green leaves with long, crisp, thick stems and a small head.

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 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.

Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, or Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) is a leafy vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli.

"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.

The verdict. Broccolini – by a hair's breadth! Nutritionally, the two brassicas are very similar. But the excellent vitamin A content of broccolini, together with the fact that it needs less prep and there's no waste, gives it the edge over broccoli for us.

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.

Chinese broccoli is one of the world's most nutritious vegetables, brandishing the highest calcium content of any food. It is also rich with iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Beta carotene is no stranger to this deep green ingredient, which can help prevent age-related macular degeneration (or ARMD).

What is broccolini called in USA? ›

Often called baby broccoli, broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese broccoli (kai lan) that was developed and trademarked in 1993 by Japan's Sakata Seed Corporation. And you may have heard of Tenderstem broccoli — that is just a trademarked name for broccolini.

Chinese Broccoli. Broccoli rabe and Chinese broccoli (gai lan) are very similar vegetables. Both are from the Brassica genus, have edible stalks, leaves, and small florets, and are bitter in flavor.

Because of its newness and because it provides less quantity in a stalk, broccolini is typically more expensive than broccoli. Substitutes for broccolini are traditional broccoli, Chinese broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, and asparagus (because broccolini's sweeter flavor is similar to asparagus' sweeter notes).

For dishes that don't require a lot of cooking or are eaten raw, it'll be better to substitute tender broccoli rabe substitutes, like arugula and spinach. For dishes that require more cooking, Chinese broccoli and broccolini may be better substitutes.

Broccolini tastes milder and sweeter than broccoli. Because its stalks are thinner, broccolini require less prep work than broccoli (which tend to have woodier stalks). Broccolini lends itself to roasting, grilling, sauteing and steaming.

The first step in making broccoli rabe less bitter? Boil it for about five minutes. A quick boil (longer than a blanch) before a sauté helps greatly reduce bitterness, though it does result in a loss of nutrients.

Being cruciferous vegetables, both broccoli rabe and broccolini have plenty of nutrients to support overall good health, including vitamins C, E and K. Cruciferous vegetables contain fiber, carotenoids and glucosinolates, which may help protect our bodies from different types of cancers.