Broccolini

Broccolini is a registered trademark of Mann Packing Company, Inc. It is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. Although often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a cross between broccoli and kai-lan, Chinese broccoli. A natural hybrid of the cabbage family Brassica oleracea italica x alboglabra, it was developed by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan, with the name Chinese kale or gai lan. Broccolini's flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus.

In the US, the generic name is baby broccoli with product look up number 3277. It is also known by the names asparation®, asparations, bimi, broccoletti, broccolette and tenderstem®. Sanbon Incorporated originated a commercial program for asparation in Mexico in 1994 and first brought it to the US market in 1996. Mann Packing Company introduced the new vegetable to the US market in 1998. They grow the vegetable year round in California and Arizona. Today, you can find broccolini throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. In the United Kingdom and Ireland it is referred to as "Tenderstem® Broccoli".

The entire vegetable is consumable, including the occasional yellow flower. Rather delicate, common cooking methods include sauteing, steaming, boiling, and stir frying.

Nutritionally, broccolini is high in vitamin C but also contains vitamin A, calcium, folate, and iron.

In Brazil, the "common" form of broccoli ("brócolis") actually refers to broccolini, whereas more expensive traditional broccoli is called "brócolis americano" (American broccoli).