Chinese Broccoli

Where it comes from

Pad khana is what happens when nobody overthinks a vegetable. Chinese broccoli arrived with the immigrant cooks who reshaped Bangkok's food a century ago, and Thais fell hard for its crisp stems and mineral bite. Flash-seared with garlic and oyster sauce, it is the standard-issue green from street stalls to banquet halls — and the plate Thai cooks order to check whether a kitchen respects vegetables.