What’s in a name? Well, no roses here, but if you are talking about Brassica rapa, Chinensis , there is quite a bit in the name. Not only are there several names appended to this member of the Crucifer family, there are what appear to be several plants as well. Although you can find several members of the “choy” family at market (bok choy, mei quing choy, tat soi, yu choy and choy sum), we will just be looking at bok choy and the variations covered by that name. Just to add to the confusion, bok choy is also spelled pak choi.
This translates to “white vegetable” by the way, which doesn’t tell you a lot, but seems to add to the confusion by causing some to think of napa cabbage (which is a different Brassica entirely!) These names cover various stages of growth and a couple variants as well. Baby bok choy may be just that-young plants of bok choy (At maturity the stalks are around 12 inches)-or it may be the variant known also as Shanghai, green stemmed, or the now popular name, Mei quing choi a.k.a. mei quin choy (Known by its much flatter and jade green stalks). There is the dwarf, or Canton bok choy, which has the pearly white stalks, but they are quite short (4-6 inches long), and the leaves are ruffled and very dark green. They all share the same flavor profile with juicy stems that are a little sweet and leaves that are mild and have a subtle cabbage flavor. The leaves of bok choy stay a nice shade of green when cooked, and the young Shanghai bok choy is a lovely jade color that is prized by some chefs.
When young, bok choy heads are frequently served whole or split in half. These smaller heads lend themselves to steaming and then are sauced. Sometimes the heads are blanched for a couple minutes and then gently sautéed. Another preparation for the Shanghai bok choy that yields a beautiful jade hue calls for dunking the heads into well salted boiling water that has a little oil added to it so it gets a shining coat as it is pulled from the water. This then gets drizzled with a little soy sauce that has had some ginger added into it, and maybe some garlic. Blanched baby bok choys are used to garnish large platters of food also, getting placed around the rim of a platter. Baby bok choy is sometimes used raw in mixed salads or chopped into cole slaw-like salads.
Mature bok choy usually gets the leaves cut from the stalks as the stalks will take longer to cook. Although bok choy makes an excellent filler in vegetable dishes due to its mild flavor, it is excellent as the star attraction. With the stalks sliced on the diagonal, bok choy yields an attractive pairing of clean white (or jade) stalks and green strips of leaves. If red peppers are in season, the dish is quite striking and the flavors go with each other beautifully. Bok choy is complemented by ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and mushrooms-especially shiitake or oyster mushrooms. Due to the very distinct flavor of shiitake mushrooms, they should be used sparingly with bok choy or they will be the only thing you taste. On the other hand, oyster mushrooms may be used liberally. I like to cook the mushrooms first with some ginger, wine, garlic, and a little soy sauce. Then the stalks get cooked until just barley done, and then the leaves go in. A quick toss, some shaoxing, ginger juice, and soy and a bit more garlic and you are ready to serve. When playing with bok choy and you want to get away oriental flavors, think of cabbage. Try a sauté of bok choy with some onion, ham, and apples or apple juice. You could even blanch the stalks and put them into a gratin dish with a béchamel sauce and a little cheese and pop it under the broiler as you might chard stems. You could sauté the tops with some onion and use it as a bed under the stalks.
Bok choy is great in soups and noodle dishes. For soups, keep it simple. All you need is some stock or broth, a little left over meat shredded up, some onion and ginger shreds, and the finely slivered bok choy. Try adding some tofu cubes for a more substantial dish. For noodles, use less broth and drop in some par-cooked noodles. Add some frozen pot-stickers and you have a quick one dish meal.
Besides being a good choice for flavor and ease of preparation, bok choy is a good choice for health. One serving (3.5 ounces) of raw bok choy will provide around 75% of the USRDA of vitamin C, 25% of vitamin A, 11% of calcium, and significant amounts of iron (6%) and magnesium (5%). It is also fairly low calorie, so it is a great vegetable to have around.
When selecting bok choy, always look for stalks that are firm and free of “rust” spots and holes. The leaves should be green and not limp or wilted. Avoid bok choy with yellowing leaves. If the bok choy is flowering, don’t worry about it, this is just another phase that bok choy is eaten in. If the head of mature bok choy in your hand seems light for its size, pass it by as the stalks may be pithy (this usually only happens in the grocery store). When you get the bok choy home, use it within 2-3 days. If you will be storing it, wrap it in paper towelling and then a plastic bag to prevent wilting. If you are shopping ahead for later in the week, I have found the Shanghai baby bok choy to be the most durable when it comes to storing.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
