| Bok choy | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Brassica rapa subsp.chinensis | |
| Species | Brassica rapa |
| Cultivar group | Chinensis |
| Origin | China, 5th century AD[1] |
Bok choy (American English,Canadian English, andAustralian English),pak choi (British English,South African English, andCaribbean English) orpok choi is a type ofChinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp.chinensis) cultivated as aleaf vegetable to be used as food. Varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent ofmustard greens. Its flavor is described as being betweenspinach andwater chestnuts but slightly sweeter, with a mildly peppery undertone. The green leaves have a stronger flavor than the white bulb.[2][3]
Chinensis varieties are popular insouthern China,East Asia, andSoutheast Asia. Beingwinter-hardy, they are increasingly grown inNorthern Europe.[citation needed] Originally classified asBrassica chinensis byCarl Linnaeus,[citation needed] they are now considered a subspecies ofBrassica rapa.They are a member of the familyBrassicaceae.
| 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 | [pàːktsʰɔ̄ːy] |
| HokkienPOJ | 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 thechinensis variety isbok choy (Cantonese for "white vegetable") orsiu bok choy (Cantonese, for "small white vegetable", as opposed todai bok choy meaning "big white vegetable", referring to the largerNapa cabbage). It is also sometimes spelled aspak choi,bok choi, andpak choy. In the UK, South Africa, and theCaribbean the termpak choi is used. Less commonly, the namesChinese chard,Chinese mustard,celery mustard, andspoon cabbage are also used.
There are two main types of bok choy, collectively called小白菜xiǎo bái cài ("small white vegetable") in Mandarin. One is white bok choy (Chinese:奶白菜;lit. 'milky white vegetable') with dark green blades and white stalks, which is primarily cultivated inSouth China, and inCantonese it is simply calledbaak choi (Chinese:白菜;lit. 'white vegetable'; the same characters pronouncedbái cǎi by Mandarin speakers are preferably used forNapa cabbage[4]). 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') with light green stalks, which is more common inEast China; the young and tender plants of green bok choy is called baby bok choy (Chinese:雞毛菜;lit. 'chicken-feather vegetable'), which is less crisp and therefore may become too soft if overcooked.[5]
In Australia, theNew South Wales Department of Primary Industries has redefined manytranscribed names to refer to specific cultivars. They have introduced the wordbuk choy to refer white bok choy and redefinedpak choy to refer to green bok choy.[6][7][8]
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.[9] It can also be eaten raw.[10] It is commonly used in salads.
Dried bok choy is saltier and sweeter. Pickled bok choy remains edible for months.[11] Immature plants have the sweetest, tenderest stems and leaves.[12]
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 54 kJ (13 kcal) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2.2 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dietary fiber | 1.0 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0.2 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1.5 g | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other constituents | Quantity | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water | 95.3 g | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| †Percentages estimated usingUS recommendations for adults,[13] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation fromthe National Academies.[14] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 foodcalories) offood energy and is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) ofvitamin A (30% DV),vitamin C (54% DV) andvitamin K (44% DV), while providingfolate,vitamin B6 andcalcium in moderate amounts (10–17% DV).
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Bok choy evolved from themustard plant in China, where it has been cultivated since the 5th century CE.[1] It can be traced to theYangtze River delta area, one of the world's oldest agricultural regions.[15] It also has been traced to theYellow River Valley where archaeologists found Chinese cabbage seeds dating back 6,000 years.[16]
As bok choy grew in use, it spread to other parts of Asia and was eventually cultivated in countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Bok choy plantations were present in Japan and Malaya by the early 19th century. In Malaya, bok choy was not commonly consumed by the poor.[17]
The vegetable was introduced to Europe in the mid-18th century. A Swede named Osbeck brought bok choy seeds to Europe during the same time period Jesuit missionaries brought similar strains of the vegetable to German scientists working in Russia.[17] Bok choy was introduced to North America in the 19th century, but did not gain in use for another century.[17]
.JPG)
![Bok choy as depicted in art, the Jadeite Cabbage[18]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aJadeite_Cabbage%2c_National_Palace_Museum.jpg)
Media related toBrassica rapa subsp. chinensis at Wikimedia Commons| Species | |
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