Bok choy

Bok choy
Brassica rapa chinensis, called "bok choy" in the United States
Species	Brassica rapa
Cultivar group	Chinensis
Origin	China, 5th century AD

Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English, South African English, and Caribbean English) or pok choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) is a type of Chinese cabbage used as food. Chinensis varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens. Its flavor is described as being between spinach and water chestnuts but slightly sweeter, with a mildly peppery undertone. The green leaves have a stronger flavor than the white bulb.

Chinensis varieties are popular in southern China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Being winter-hardy, they are increasingly grown in Northern Europe. Originally classified as Brassica chinensis by Carl Linnaeus, they are now considered a subspecies of Brassica rapa.They are a member of the family Brassicaceae.

Spelling and naming variations

Cooked bok choy
Chinese name
Chinese	青菜, 小白菜
Hanyu Pinyin	qīngcài, xiǎobáicài
Bopomofo	ㄑㄧㄥ ㄘㄞˋ, ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄞˊ ㄘㄞˋ
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	chingtsay, sheaubairtsay
IPA	[tɕʰíŋ.tsʰâɪ], [ɕjàʊ.pǎɪ.tsʰâɪ]
Romanization	tsching tsae
Cantonese and Southern Min name
Chinese	白菜
Yale Romanization	baahk choi
Jyutping	baak6 coi3
IPA	[pàːk tsʰɔ̄ːy]
Hokkien POJ	pe̍h-chhài or pe̍eh-chhài
Korean name
Hangul	청경채
Hanja	靑莖菜
Revised Romanization	cheonggyeongchae
Japanese name
Kanji	青梗菜
Katakana	チンゲンサイ
Romanization	chingensai

Other than the term "Chinese cabbage", the most widely used name in North America for the chinensis variety is bok choy (Cantonese for "white vegetable") or siu bok choy (Cantonese, for "small white vegetable", as opposed to dai bok choy meaning "big white vegetable", referring to the larger Napa cabbage). It is also sometimes spelled as pak choi, bok choi, and pak choy. In the UK, South Africa, and the Caribbean the term pak choi is used. Less commonly, the names Chinese chard, Chinese mustard, celery mustard, and spoon cabbage are also used.

There are two main types of bok choy: one is white bok choy (Chinese: 奶白菜; lit. 'milky white vegetable') which is primarily cultivated in South China, and in Cantonese it is simply called baak choi (Chinese: 白菜; lit. 'white vegetable'; the same characters pronounced bái cǎi by Mandarin speakers are preferably used for Napa cabbage); the other is green bok choy (Chinese: 青白菜; lit. 'green white vegetable'; Chinese: 青菜; lit. 'green vegetable'; Chinese: 上海青; lit. 'Shanghai green'; Chinese: 青梗菜; lit. 'green-stalk vegetable'; Chinese: 小唐菜; lit. 'small Chinese vegetable') which is more common in East China. They are collectively called 小白菜 xiǎo bái cài ("small white vegetable") in Mandarin. White bok choy is usually more expensive and has dark-colored crinkly leaves and stem portions that are white and a crisp texture that is more suitable for Cantonese-style cooking, stir-fries, and simple or raw preparations. Green bok choy has greater availability in most American markets, and has mild-tasting spoon-shaped leaves that are lighter green with stems that are jade green instead of white. The texture of green bok choy is less crisp and gets slimy if overcooked, but otherwise can often be substituted for white bok choy.

In Australia, the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries has redefined many transcribed names to refer to specific cultivars. They have introduced the word buk choy to refer white bok choy and redefined pak choy to refer to green bok choy.

Uses

Cooking

Bok choy cooks in 2 to 3 minutes by steaming, stir-frying, or simmering in water (8 minutes if steamed whole). The leaves cook faster than the stem. It is often used in similar ways to other leafy vegetables such as spinach and cabbage. It can also be eaten raw. It is commonly used in salads.

Preserving

Dried bok choy is saltier and sweeter. Pickled bok choy remains edible for months. Immature plants have the sweetest, tenderest stems and leaves.

Nutritional value

Bok choy, raw
(chinensis, pak choi)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	54 kJ (13 kcal)
Carbohydrates	2.2 g
Dietary fiber	1.0 g
Fat	0.2 g
Protein	1.5 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV† Vitamin A equiv. beta-Carotene 27% 243 μg 25% 2681 μg Thiamine (B1) 3% 0.04 mg Riboflavin (B2) 5% 0.07 mg Niacin (B3) 3% 0.5 mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 2% 0.09 mg Vitamin B6 11% 0.19 mg Folate (B9) 17% 66 μg Vitamin C 50% 45 mg Vitamin K 38% 46 μg Minerals Quantity %DV† Calcium 8% 105 mg Iron 4% 0.80 mg Magnesium 5% 19 mg Manganese 7% 0.16 mg Potassium 8% 252 mg Sodium 3% 65 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	95.3 g
Link to Full Report in USDA Nutrient Database
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

The raw vegetable is 95% water, 2% carbohydrates, 1% protein and less than 1% fat. In a 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving, raw bok choy provides 54 kilojoules (13 food calories) of food energy and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of vitamin A (30% DV), vitamin C (54% DV) and vitamin K (44% DV), while providing folate, vitamin B6 and calcium in moderate amounts (10–17% DV).

History

Bok choy evolved in China, where it has been cultivated since the 5th century CE.

Gallery

• 
  Young bok choy plants in garden
• 
  Bok choy
• 
  White bok choy
• 
  Green bok choy
• 
  Bok choy plant in side view
• 
  Bok choy has yellow flowers
• 
  Bok choy as depicted in art, the Jadeite Cabbage

See also

• Gai lan
• Choy sum
• List of leaf vegetables
• Food portal

External links

• Media related to Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis at Wikimedia Commons