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Bok choy

Vegetables · Brassicas

Bok choy

Asian brassica with thick white or pale-green stems and dark spoon-shaped leaves, quick to stir-fry or steam.

Also called: pak choi, pak choy, chinese greens

A kind of cabbage

13 recipes with it

Photo: spurekar, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

Bok choy (pak choi) grows as a loose head of smooth, dark-green leaves on fleshy stems that are white or, in Shanghai types, pale green. Baby bok choy is small enough to cook whole or halved. It is juicier and milder than cabbage and keeps a crunch when cooked briefly.

Brassica rapa (Chinensis group)

How it’s used

  • Stir-fried with garlic and oyster sauce
  • Steamed or blanched as a side
  • Added to noodle soups and ramen
  • Braised halves with mushrooms

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, sweet and slightly mustardy.
Texture
Crisp, juicy stems; tender leaves.
When cooked
Leaves cook in seconds, stems in a few minutes; grit collects at the base, so wash halves well.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate in a bag and use within a few days, before leaves yellow.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
13 kcal
Protein
1.5 g
Carbohydrate
2.18 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
1 g
Sugars
1.18 g

USDA FoodData Central: Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Napa cabbage — Fine in soups and stir-fries; softer.
  • Spinach — For the leaves only; no crunch.

Related ingredients

Recipes with bok choy

See all 13

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