Bok Choy (Brassica Chinensis)

Bok choy is classified as a cabbage. Bok Choy bears little resemblance to the round European cabbages found in western supermarkets. It has thick, white stalks and dark green leaves that have a round shape.  Its white stalks resemble celery without the stringiness, while the tops are dark green, crinkly leaves. The Chinese commonly refer to bok choy as pak choi or "white vegetable." Another common name is white cabbage.

Bok choy is widely popular in the Philippines, replacing cabbage in pancit, a Philippine noodle dish, and in kimchi, a Korean hot pickle relish made with garlic and red peppers. Bok choy or pak kwahng toong also appears in Thai recipes. While bok choy is grown in the United States and several Canadian provinces, it remains firmly associated with Chinese cooking. Bok Choy’s delicate flavor is featured in soups, stir-fries and appetizers. Bok choy is great in salads or cut in sticks for a relish tray with dip. Bok Choy’s mild sweet flavor is a hit with children and cabbage shy adults as well.

Bok choy is becoming popular as well, because of its nutritional value. One half cup of raw bok choy contains only 10 calories. Bok choy contains no fat or cholesterol and is a good source of calcium. It is also low in sodium and high in vitamins C and A.

To wash and store Bok Choy:

Bok Choy should be stored unwashed for 4-5 days sealed tightly in a plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator.

All greens trap sand and grit. When ready to prepare the bok choy cut the bottom inch off the stalks. You can treat the bok choy the way you would celery for cleaning and prepping. Separate or pull the individual leaves of bok choy apart and rinse them with cold, running water from your faucet or rinse them in a bowl of cold water as you would greens. A sprayer-type faucet is very helpful when rinsing vegetables such as this.

Because bok choy is a member of the cabbage family, you can cook it as you would a cabbage. When cooked, it has a sweet flavor and its stalks are firm. Both bok choy's stalks and leaves are edible. The most common uses for mature bok choy include steaming, sautéing and boiling it then adding traditional Asian seasonings such as soy sauce, ginger, or hot peppers. Baby bok choy is best when cooked whole and used as a side dish or as an additional to noodles. However, when cooking mature bok choy, do not cook it whole. Instead, first remove the leaves from their stalks and cut the stalks into pieces. Next, take the leaves that were removed and cut them into pieces as well. Cook the stalks first until almost tender and then add the leaves.

(GREEN TIP: Use a large bucket or container for washing and the leftover water can be carried outside to water your plants and grass.)