Isn't kai-lan some kind of broccoli?
I thought so, anyway.
I've finally found what I need to be happy, and it's not friends, it's things.
Yes it is.
Kai-lan is actually a HORRIBLE NAME for a child, especially if you're Cantonese speaking. Top it off with a last name like Chow.
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I checked it out on Wikipedia and found it unbelievable, but true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai-lan
It is actually a leafy vegetable also known as Gai Lan or Chinese kale.
The kale family includes such green veggies as collard greens and Brussels sprouts. "Kai-lan" is probably the Chinese form of "kale", which includes cabbage. The literal Mandarin meaning is "mustard orchid", implying a similarity to mustard greens, turnip greens and any possibly related veggies.
The etymology has Dutch and German roots as well; cabbage is "Kohl" in German and "kool" in Dutch, which led to cole slaw, "cabbage salad".
The character of Kai-Lan Chow is based on the childhood of Karen Chau, the show's creator, who lent the Chinese form of her name to the main character.
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my family says it has gai lan, and i thought it was funny that kai-lan's name is so similar. i guess other dialects pronounce it as kai lan too haha
shareYeah, in Mandarin, Chinese broccoli is "Jie Lan." The "lan" her Kai-Lan's name is the same (although, I think "lan" by itself means something like orchid, doesn't it?), and "kai" means "victory." Victory Orchid! Go!
shareThis wordplay on "Kai-lan / broccoli" was spoofed on the "Are You Karate Kidding Me? / Fresh Prawn of Bel-Air" episode of the Cartoon Network MAD show.
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