What is "broccolini"

n. A green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and long thin stalks; a cross between broccoli and kai-lan (Chinese broccoli).

Broccolini (original Japanese: ) is a green vegetable similar to broccoli but with smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. Often misidentified as young broccoli, it is a hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan, both cultivar groups of Brassica oleracea. It was originally developed by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan, in 1993 as "aspabroc".

The entire vegetable is consumable, including the occasional yellow flower. Common cooking methods include sauteeing, steaming, boiling, and stir frying. Its flavor is sweet, with notes of both broccoli and asparagus, although it is not closely related to the latter. Nutritionally, it is high in vitamin C and contains vitamin A, calcium, folate, and iron.

In Australia, Broccolini is a registered trademark licensed to Perfection Fresh Australia by the Sakata Seed Company.

In Japan, it is highly popular as a spring vegetable, and usually eaten steamed.

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