39 best bok choy professional tips and secrets

Did you know that there are really many different names for bok choy?

• Brassica rapa chinensis is the scientific name for bok choy, but it is also known as Chinese cabbage, white vegetable, pak choi, and Chinese mustard cabbage. Brassica is a family that includes bok choy, collard greens, kale, wild mustard, broccoli, and kohlrabi. 
• There is often a great deal of confusion over the vegetable’s numerous names, which can vary depending on country or location, while some refer to different varieties. The Cantonese words ‘bok choy’ translate to the English phrase ‘white vegetable.’ In addition, there are many different varieties of the vegetable.
• In Singapore, there are structures that are constructed entirely out of bok choy. Vertical farming has quickly gained traction among commercial farmers in Singapore in recent years. One of their most notable achievements is the construction of skyscrapers made of bok choy that are thirty feet in height.
• Both the stems and the leaves of bok choy may be consumed, and the most common way to prepare them is by stir-frying. However, you can also cook them by boiling, steaming, or microwaving them instead.

Bok choy nutrition values and health benefits

1. Because it is a cruciferous vegetable and a leafy green, bok choy is loaded with nutritious components that may have health-promoting effects because of its cruciferous nature. In bok choy, the nutrients vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, and beta-carotene may all be found in high concentrations. Additionally, it is a very rich source of folate, calcium, and vitamin B6.
2. Bok choy, like many other fruits and vegetables, particularly those that are brightly or darkly coloured, contains antioxidants, which assist the body in warding off inflammation and repairing damaged cells.
3. Particularly rich in the flavonoid known as quercetin are dark leafy greens like bok choy and related greens like mustard greens, turnip greens, and Napa cabbage.
4. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, also have anti-cancer effects. According to the findings of a number of studies, increasing one’s consumption of these leafy green vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of developing numerous forms of cancer, including prostate, lung, breast, and colorectal cancers. 
5. People who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or Crohn’s disease may find relief from their symptoms when they consume a diet that is low in a specific type of carbohydrate known as FODMAPs, for short. On a low-FODMAP diet, you are allowed to consume bok choy.
6. Calcium is a mineral that is very necessary for healthy bones and teeth. It is essential to locate alternate dietary sources of calcium if you are unable to or do not choose to eat dairy products; bok choy is an excellent option in this regard.
7. In the medical literature, there is no mention of anybody having an allergic reaction to bok choy. On the other hand, if you suffer from hay fever brought on by mugwort pollen, eating cabbage, broccoli, and other plants in the same family may cause you to have oral allergy syndrome. Itchiness or swelling around the mouth are two symptoms of this condition. Anaphylaxis is a rare but possible progression of this condition; thus, it is important to be aware of the signs of anaphylaxis and to seek prompt treatment if you encounter any of them.
8. Vitamin K may be found in abundance in bok choy. People who use blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin), which help manage blood clotting, need to eat regular quantities of vitamin K. This is because vitamin K helps regulate blood clotting. However, the appropriate quantity of vitamin K consumed from food might vary. Talk to your doctor about your eating habits if you are currently on blood thinners.
9. Additionally, bok choy includes salicylates, which are chemicals that are similar to aspirin. If you find that aspirin makes you sick, you should probably stay away from foods that contain salicylates. Have a discussion about this sensitivity with either your primary care physician or a dietitian.

70g of raw bok choy has 9 calories (37kj), 1g protein, 0.1g fat, and 1.5g carbs including 0.7g fibre

How to store bok choy and how to buy them

• If you are shopping at a farmers market or grocery store, you might be able to tell the difference between standard mature bok choy and baby bok choy. However, if you are shopping at a Chinese market, you are likely to see a bewildering array of leafy green vegetables labelled as bok choy, pak choi, or all of which are interchangeable terms.
• Bok choy should have stems that are solid and clear of brown areas; the greens should be fresh and vivid. The use of leaves that are drying out is not recommended. If you want to buy young bok choy, you should search for heads that are delicate and very small. These are the best ones to buy.
• Before you make a purchase of the plants, you should examine the leaves and stems to see if there are any signs of wilting. Larger varieties of plants will have these signs. At all costs, you should avoid purchasing Bok Choy that has stems and leaves that have become limp. If you want your bok choy to have the best possible flavour, pick a kind that is light green in colour and has very little to no browning on it.
• Do not wash bok choy before keeping it in the refrigerator; instead, place it in a zipper bag. If you do so, the moisture will encourage the growth of mould. Instead, take the vegetable without washing it and put it in a plastic bag that has a zipper. Make holes in the bag to allow for air circulation and prevent the veggies from wilting in their confinement. Consume this within three to four days at the most.
• Alternatively, you may separate the stems of the bok choy and cook them whole. Don’t throw away the white stems; they have culinary value, too. When you’re done sorting the leaves, put them in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. One should wash the leaves and then shake them to get rid of any excess water. Then, pat them dry with a paper towel. After thoroughly drying the bok choy, place each leaf on its own sheet of clean, new paper towels. Place the wrapped up leaves into a zippered plastic bag. Please place the bag in the refrigerator’s produce drawer. The bok choy should remain fresh for around five or six days.
• Bok choy may also be preserved by placing it in a container and covering it with water. To begin, choose a container and fill it to the brim with water that has been kept in the refrigerator. After positioning the stalks in the jar so that they are upright, place the jar in the refrigerator to store the contents. Consume the vegetables no later than one or two days after purchasing them.
• The vast majority of us are aware that the freezer is not an ideal environment for storing veggies. When stored in the freezer for an extended period of time, leafy greens may develop a mushy consistency. This has happened to many of us. If you follow the instructions in the following paragraphs, your bok choy will not turn into pulp, and you will be able to continue using it in all of your recipes. The following is a list of some of the possible ways:
  1. The first step in the blanching process is to wash your bok choy by following the instructions mentioned above. As soon as it is free of dirt and debris, start a kettle of water on the stove and let it come to a boil. The leaves of the bok choy should be submerged in the water that is boiling for a period of two minutes. After that, remove them from the pan as fast as you can and immediately submerge them in cold water to halt the cooking process. The leaves should be patted dry with a paper towel before being placed in freezer bags made of plastic that are airtight. Check to ensure that there is as little air as possible trapped within the bags. After that, put them in the coldest section of your freezer you can find.
  2. Freezing without blanching. Some individuals find that blanching their bok choy before freezing it to be an unnecessary step, while others find that blanching makes their bok choy taste bitter. In point of fact, they desire as little contact with water as possible since even a little bit might kick off the decaying process. In order to carry out this approach correctly, you must first clean your veggies with paper towels. Make a cut at the bottom of the vegetable, separate the stems, and then use paper towels that have been dampened to thoroughly clean each stem.

Cooking techniques, secrets, and tips from the kitchen

1. Bok choy may be prepared using a number of cooking techniques, the most common of which are steaming, braising, and simmering. These, on the other hand, have the potential to quickly overcook the stems, which will result in a texture that is more like mush. It is quite important to stop cooking the stalks when they are just somewhat tender, which may take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes depending on the method that is being used and the quantity of the vegetable that is being cooked.
2. Baby bok choy gets the most delicious browning and flavour development when it is stir-fried, which is my preferred method of preparation. In order to give the greens a browned appearance and make them softer, heat a big non-stick pan or wok over high heat until it is very hot. By slicing the vegetables along the length of the centre to form two halves, you may make them seem more appealing to the eye and keep the structure of the vegetables intact after they have been cooked.
3. In order to create a deep golden sear on the surface of the bok choy in pan frying, it is essential to begin with the cut side down from the beginning. Never lift the veggies in the pan or move them about in the pan until it is absolutely essential to do so. Before you attempt to flip it, let it rest undisturbed for a few minutes. You may get a wonderful light browning and toasting of the nut flavours by using hot oil, high heat, and direct contact with the frying surface. This will give the nuts a toasted flavour.
4. Before grilling, bok choy should be cut in half lengthwise while preserving the cores. The halves should then be coated with sesame oil before being placed on the grill. Grill each side for 1 to 2 minutes on top.
5. Roasting in the oven is a method that takes a little longer than ten minutes, but it does not need any hand-holding at any point, making it an excellent use of the additional time. Bok choy is a member of the cabbage family and may be roasted in the same fashion as roasted Brussels sprouts or cabbage wedges. Bok choy is not often thought of as a vegetable, but since it is a member of the cabbage family, roasting it is an option. When something is baked at a high temperature over a long period of time, the top develops a sugary, caramelised flavour while the edges become crisp. It’s possible that this may end up becoming your new go-to approach when cooking with this vegetable.
6. Braising is another fantastic method to cook bok choy, either on its own, in a rich liquid, or added to a braised meat, as the long, slow, and wet heat helps to tenderise the crisp stalks. You may braise bok choy on its own, in a tasty liquid, or add it to braise meat.
7. Nevertheless, bok choy may be consumed raw in the same manner as other types of cabbage. It goes very well in salads, and it is fantastic for creating slaw when it is finely chopped, mixed with some apples, raw carrot shreds, and sliced scallions, and then tossed in a mild vinaigrette.
8. The addition of aromatics and sauces to a meal gives it several levels of flavour. Fresh ginger, garlic that has been minced, and green onions that have been finely chopped all provide an instant pungent and earthy flavour. Due to the fact that they are so fragile, be sure to sauté them in vegetable oil until they acquire a fragrant quality. When you’re cooking with garlic, you want to watch that it doesn’t become too dark.
9. At the very end of the cooking process, a sauce is added to further enhance the flavour of the finished product. This sauce is made with a variety of different ingredients, including soy sauce, vegetable broth, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and dried chilli flakes. Delectable glazed halves of vegetables are produced as a consequence of stir-frying with bok choy that has been seared.

History of bok choy from the beginning until today

• Despite the fact that bok choy may come in a wide range of colours, the term “bok choy” in Cantonese, the language most often used in China, refers to it only as a “white vegetable.”
• Bok choy is a kind of Chinese vegetable that is believed to have originated in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. This region is recognised as one of the oldest and best known agricultural regions in the world. Around 3,500 years ago, wild brassica species that were already present in the area probably served as the parental stock for the domesticated bok choy.
• Bok choy was originally brought to Korea in the 1300s CE, when Korea was one of the most powerful and technologically advanced countries in Asia at the time. Bok choy is a member of the cabbage family. During this historical period, the Koreans invented kimchi, a meal consisting of fermented bok choy that is still eaten to this day by a significant number of people.
• The well-known Chinese scholar Li Shizhen praised Bok choy for the curative effects it had in the influential book Compendium of Materia Medica (also known as “Bencao Gangmu”), which the author, Li Shizhen, published for the first time in the 1500s. After that time, the consumption of bok choy increased at an exponential pace across the whole of China.
• It is possible to prepare bok choy in a variety of ways, both cooked and raw, so you shouldn’t be scared to experiment with the various methods. There are hundreds of different recipes that call for bok choy. Additionally, bok choy works very well when fermented into sauerkraut in the European style or kimchi in the Korean manner, both of which are quite tasty.
• In the practice of folk medicine, bok choy has long been used as a treatment for ailments like coughs and colds, as well as to calm irritated stomachs. The leaves may be used to make a poultice, which can be applied to the skin to soothe minor irritations.
• Bok choy is comparable to other cabbages in that it has a crisp, crunchy texture and a taste that is somewhat bitter and mineral-like. Additionally, during the cooking process, a small nuttiness is brought out of the bok choy. On the other hand, baby bok choy, as opposed to its mature counterpart, has a little more sweetness. The older and bigger bunches have a greater level of bitterness, and a spiciness that is comparable to that of mustard greens begins to emerge. There are a number of complementary flavours that go well with bok choy, including soy sauce, sesame, chilli paste, and aromatics like ginger and garlic.