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,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 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[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 in East 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]
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.
Preserving
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]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2022)
Bok choy evolved from the mustard plant in China, where it has been cultivated since the 5th century CE.[1] It can be traced to the Yangtze River delta area, one of the world's oldest agricultural regions.[15] It also has been traced to the Yellow 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]
1 2 Sanderson, Helen; Renfrew, Jane M. (2005). Prance, Ghillean; Nesbitt, Mark (eds.). The Cultural History of Plants. Routledge. p.115. ISBN0415927463.
↑ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp.120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN978-0-309-48834-1. PMID30844154. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
↑ "Bok Choy". North Coast Growers' Association. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
↑ Features, Mary H. Dyer last updated in (2018-11-29). "Bok Choy History And Uses". gardeningknowhow. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
