Bok Choy
Also indexed as: Celery Mustard, Chinese Mustard, Onf Choy, Pak
Choi, Spoon Cabbage, Taisai
Bok choy goes well with the flavors of soy sauce, hot peppers, and toasted
sesame oil.
Bok choy is an Asian member of the cabbage family that has a mild flavor. It consists of
long, thick, white stalks, topped by intensely blue-green leaves. Bok choy is a familiar
vegetable in Chinese restaurants, where it appears in won ton soup and many stir-fried
dishes.
Varieties
Common name variations for bok choi include pak choi, pak choy, bok choi, spoon cabbage,
taisai, celery mustard, and Chinese mustard. Baby bok choy is smaller and more tender than
mature bok choy. Shanghai pak choi is similar to bok choy but has pale green stalks with
leaves that are just slightly darker than the stalk.
The most distinct comparison between bok choy and Chinese cabbage is in appearance. Bok
choy has loosely clustered leaves with no compact head, while Chinese cabbage has either a
cylindrical or barrel-shaped head.
Buying and storing tips
Look for bok choy with firm stalks and leaves. Avoid yellowing or wilted leaves. Store in
an unsealed plastic bag. Bok choy generally keeps well and will stay fresh for more than a
week, but should be used in four to five days for best flavor.
Availability
Bok choy is available year-round. Because it is a cold-weather vegetable, availability is
good during the winter.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Chop off enough of the base of the bok choy plant before washing so that stalks can be
cleaned individually. Rinse stalks and leaves under running water, using a vegetable brush if
they are especially dirty at the base of the stalk.
Bok choy stalks can be consumed raw with dip, or chopped and used in salads. Bok choy has a
high water content and becomes limp very quickly upon cooking. It should be cooked very
quickly over high temperature so that the leaves become tender and the stalks stay crisp. In
Chinese stir-fried dishes and soups, bok choy is added toward the end of the cooking process.
Since the leaves cook much more quickly than the stalks, it’s a good idea to add the
stalks first and then the leaves about a minute later. Cut the stalks into 1/2-inch (1.25cm)
pieces before cooking.
To boil
Cook stems in salted water for four minutes and leaves for two to three minutes.
To steam
Allow pieces to steam for about six minutes, or until tender-crisp.
To sauté
Stir-fry the stalks over high heat for about six minutes and the leaves for about three
minutes, until stalks are tender-crisp and leaves are just wilted.
Bok choy goes well with the flavors of soy sauce,
hot peppers, and toasted sesame oil.
Nutritional Highlights
Bok choy, 3 oz. (85g)
Calories: 14
Protein: 1.0g
Carbohydrate: 2.73g
Total Fat: 0.18g
Fiber: 0.84g
Health benefits and concerns
Cancer
The strong association between increased intake of
beta-carotene from food and a reduced risk of lung
cancer does not necessarily mean that supplementation with natural beta-carotene
supplements would reduce the risk of lung cancer. Dietary beta-carotene may be a marker for
diets high in certain fruits and vegetables that contain other anticancer substances that
may be responsible for the protective effects. Until more is known, some doctors advise
smokers to avoid all forms of beta-carotene supplementation—even natural
beta-carotene.
Cataracts
Some, but not all, studies have reported that eating more foods rich in beta-carotene or vitamin A was associated with a lower risk of cataracts.
Synthetic beta-carotene supplementation has not been found to reduce the risk of cataract
formation. It remains unclear whether natural beta-carotene from food or supplements would
protect the eye or whether beta-carotene in food is merely a marker for other protective
factors in fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene.
High
homocysteine
A controlled trial showed that eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables containing folic acid, beta-carotene, and vitamin C effectively lowered
homocysteine levels. Healthy people were assigned to either a diet containing a pound of
fruits and vegetables per day, or to a diet containing 3 1/2 ounces (99g) of fruits and
vegetables per day. After four weeks, those eating the higher amount of fruits and vegetables
had an 11 percent lower homocysteine level compared to those eating the lower amount of fruits
and vegetables.
Macular
degeneration
People who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables high in beta-carotene appear to be at lower
risk for macular degeneration than people who do not eat these foods. However, another study
found no association between age-related macular degeneration and intake of antioxidants,
either from the diet, from supplements, or from both combined. More research is needed to
reconcile these differences. In the meantime, beta-carotene-rich vegetables continue to be
part of a healthful diet.
Pregnancy
Pregnant women should consume 1,500mg of calcium per day.
Food sources of calcium include milk products, dark green
leafy vegetables,
tofu, sardines (canned with edible bones), salmon
(canned with edible bones), peas, and beans.
Stroke
Diets high in fruit and/or vegetables are associated with a reduced risk of stroke,
according to most studies. In a large preliminary study, cruciferous and green leafy
vegetables, conferred the highest degree of protection. Because it is not clear which
components of fruits and vegetables are most responsible for the protective effect against
stroke, people wishing to reduce their risk of stroke should rely primarily on eating more
fruits and vegetables themselves rather than taking supplements.
Health benefits and
concerns for vegetables
Many health benefits and concerns associated with this food are applicable to other
vegetables. Read about health benefits and concerns
for vegetables for a full description.
The information presented in this website is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of U.S. registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
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