Bok Choy or Chinese Mustard Cabbage

Bok choy is a widely used Chinese leafy vegetable. Its name is derived from the Cantonese term 白菜 for Chinese mustard cabbage, which literally translates as “white vegetable”. The “white” refers to the color of the stalks and ribs in contrast to the dark green leaves, although the coloring can vary depending on the variety.

The type you can find in almost all supermarkets here is called “Shanghai Bok choy”. It is somewhat smaller than regular bok choy and usually has light green stalks and lighter leaves. The larger white variety with dark green leaves, on the other hand, is usually found in the refrigerated section of Asian supermarkets.

Whether white or light green, bok choy is closely related to Chinese cabbage and somewhat more distantly related to Choi Sam and Chinese broccoli. It has a lightly mustardy, aromatic flavor that can sometimes also seem slightly cabbage-like.

Young bok choy with very small heads is called “baby bok choy” or sometimes “mini bok choy”. Dark green baby bok choy has hardly any cabbage flavor, with the mustard note being much more prominent.

There are also many other varieties of bok choy, such as Wong King Bok choy, which is rather unknown and harder to find here.

In Thailand, the plant is called “Pak Choi” ( ) and is occasionally also referred to as “Pak Kwang Tung” ( ), although that is actually the Thai name for Choi Sam.

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