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| Chinese cabbage | |
|---|---|
 Brassica rapa, subsp.pekinensis | |
| Species | Brassica rapa |
| Cultivar group | Chinensis Group, Pekinensis Group |
| Origin | China, before the 15th century |
| Cultivar group members | Many; see text |
Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, subspeciespekinensis andchinensis) is either of twocultivar groups ofleaf vegetables often used inChinese cuisine: the Pekinensis Group (napa cabbage) and the Chinensis Group (bok choy).
These vegetables are both variantcultivars or subspecies ofB. rapa and belong to the same genus asBrassica oleracea, whose cultivars include Western staples such ascabbage,broccoli, andcauliflower. BothB. rapa cultivars have many variations in name, spelling, andscientific classification, especially bok choy cultivars.
The Chinese cabbage was principally grown in theYangtze River Delta region, but theMing dynasty naturalistLi Shizhen popularized it by bringing attention to itsmedicinal qualities. The variant cultivated inZhejiang around the 14th century was brought north, and the northern harvest ofnapa cabbage soon exceeded the southern one. These were then exported back south along theGrand Canal toHangzhou and traded by sea as far south asGuangdong.[citation needed]
Napa cabbage became a staple inNortheastern Chinese cuisine for makingsuan cai, Chinesesauerkraut. InKorea, napa cabbage was used forbaek-kimchi, which developed intokimchi.[1] Chinese cabbage is now commonly found in markets throughout the world, catering both to theChinese diaspora and to northern markets that appreciate its resistance to cold.
In 2017, aboard theInternational Space Station, a crop of Chinese cabbage from a plant growth device included an allotment for crew consumption, while the rest was saved for scientific study.[2]
There are two distinct groups ofBrassica rapa used as leaf vegetables in China, and a wide range of cultivars within these two groups. The binomial nameB. campestris is also used.
This group is the more common of the two, especially outside Asia; names such as napa cabbage,dà báicài (Chinese:大白菜, "large white vegetable");Baguio petsay orpetsay wombok (Tagalog);Chinese white cabbage; "wong a pak" (Hokkien, Fujianese);baechu (Korean: 배추),wongbok;hakusai (Japanese:白菜 orハクサイ) and "suann-tang-pe̍h-á" (Taiwanese)[3] usually refer to members of this group. Pekinensis Group cabbages have broad green leaves with whitepetioles, tightly wrapped in a cylindrical formation and usually forming a compact head. As the group name indicates, this is particularly popular in northern China aroundBeijing (Peking).
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Chinensis Group cultivars do not form heads; instead, they have smooth, dark green leaf blades forming a cluster reminiscent ofmustard orcelery. These cultivars are popular in southern China andSoutheast Asia. Being winter-hardy, they are increasingly grown in Northern Europe. This group was originally classified as its own species under the nameB. chinensis byLinnaeus.[citation needed]
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