西兰花 (xīlánhuā) · broccoli

Measure Word

一颗西兰花 kē

Meanings

1 broccoli

About the ingredient

蔬菜 Vegetables

Dark green heads of tight florets on a thick, pale green stalk; the stalk is eaten too. Usually broken into florets and stir-fried, sometimes with seafood such as scallops.

Also called 西蓝花、青花菜

Used in 4 dishes

西兰花炒肉片 xīlánhuā chǎo ròupiàn

清炒西兰花 qīngchǎo xīlánhuā

蒜蓉西兰花 suànróng xīlánhuā

蚝油西兰花 háoyóu xīlánhuā

Characters

Examples

HSK 1

孩子不喜欢吃西兰花。

Háizi bù xǐhuan chī xīlánhuā.

Kids don't like eating broccoli.

HSK 6

西兰花清炒最能保留营养。

Xīlánhuā qīngchǎo zuì néng bǎoliú yíngyǎng.

Lightly stir-frying broccoli best preserves the nutrients.

Tips

memory

西 (Western) + 兰花 (orchid) - literally 'Western orchid flower,' because the dense green florets reminded growers of orchid blossoms. Variant 西蓝花 swaps 兰 for 蓝 (blue) and is equally common in writing.