Ingredients 101: Bok Choy

Classification
Cabbage family

Flavor
Light and sweet. Larger varieties can get a little bit bitter.

Nutrition
High in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and calcium. Low in calories.

Texture
The stalks are crisp and resemble celery, but aren’t stringy. The dark green leaves are tender and resemble Romaine lettuce.

Varieties
There are many varieties of bok choy. The most commonly available variety in American grocery stores is regular large bok choy.

large bok choy

My personal favorite variety is Shanghai or baby bok choy, which are a miniaturized version of regular bok choy. They are sweeter and more tender. Some grocery stores carry baby bok choy, but you may have to go to an Asian grocery.

baby bok choy

Cooking Preparation
To prepare, simply cut of the end of the bulb and rinse in cool water. You can leave the stalks whole or cut them up, depending on the recipe. If using baby bok choy, you can leave it whole and not cut of the end and separate the stalks.

Recipes
Here are a few recipes that I have used bok choy in:
Beef Noodles (Niu Rou Mein)
Stir-Fried Garlic Baby Bok Choy

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