Bok Choy (also known as pak choi), a member of the cabbage family, is the #1 vegetable in China. Although depending upon the variety appearance changes, typically bok choy has white stems with dark leaves.
In addition to bok choy, we also grow tatsoi. Tatsoi has short tender white stems and a rosette of glossy green leaves. Tatsoi is a popular salad green or ingredient in stir fry.
Both Bok Choy and Tatsoi are best prepared in stir fry, soups, sautéed, grilled, or raw since it can become soggy when boiled or steamed due to its high water content. The stems can be used in recipes as a substitute for celery, and the leaves can used as a substitute for spinach or other leafy greens.
Bok Choy should be wrapped with a damp paper towel and stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator where is should stay fresh for one week.
This vegetable is rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and calcium. A cup of bok choy has roughly the same amount of calcium as ½ cup of milk. Bok choy is also a good source of folate and has more beta-carotene and vitamin A than other cabbages. A cup of bok choy contains nearly the entire RDA for beta-carotene. (health.learninginfo.org, WH Foods)
