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Napa cabbage

Vegetables · Brassicas

Napa cabbage

Long, pale Chinese cabbage with crinkly leaves and juicy white ribs; the main ingredient of kimchi.

Also called: chinese cabbage, wombok, baechu, celery cabbage

A kind of cabbage

12 recipes with it

Photo: Bayartai, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0-1.0)

What it is

Napa cabbage forms an elongated, barrel-shaped head of pale-yellow to light-green crinkled leaves with wide, crisp white ribs. It is more tender, sweeter and juicier than round cabbage. Bok choy is a related Asian brassica with loose, spoon-shaped leaves rather than a head.

Brassica rapa (Pekinensis group)

How it’s used

  • Salted and fermented into kimchi
  • Stir-fried or braised with garlic
  • Added to hot pots, soups and dumplings
  • Shredded raw into slaws

Characteristics

Taste
Mild, sweet and lightly peppery.
Texture
Crisp, juicy ribs and soft leaves.
When cooked
Wilts and releases water quickly; salting draws out moisture before fermenting.
Sold as
fresh
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate wrapped; it keeps for a while whole. Remove wilted outer leaves before use.

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
16 kcal
Protein
1.2 g
Carbohydrate
3.23 g
Fat
0.2 g
Fibre
1.2 g
Sugars
1.41 g

USDA FoodData Central: Cabbage, chinese (pe-tsai), raw.

Substitutes

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

  • Cabbage — Works in stir-fries and slaws; slice thinly, cook a little longer.
  • Bok choy — Good in soups and stir-fries.

Related ingredients

Recipes with napa cabbage

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