Bok choy, also known as leafy Chinese cabbage, is one of the popular mainland crops in China, Philippines, Vietnam and other oriental regions. At the same time, this humble Brassica family vegetable has captured popularity even in the western world for its sweet, succulent nutritious leaves and stalks.
Scientific name: Brassica campestris L. (Chinensis group). It is also recognized by several local dialects as pe-tsai, pak choi, petsay, white-celery mustard, Chinese white cabbage…etc, in the East Asian countries.
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| Bok choy. Note for small, upright, cylindrical shaped stem with dark green leaves. |
In structure, bok choy resembles collards, and could be described as a non-heading cabbage (Acephala group). It is basically a small plant which grows upright from the ground with smooth white romaine lettuce like stalks, which spread at the end to fine, glossy green, oval or round leaves. Fully grown-up plant may reach about 12-18 inches in length.
Brassica campestris group can be further categorized according to the color of the petioles in its leaves.White petioled varieties include joi choi, pak-choy white, prize choi, lei choi, taisai, canton pak choi…etc.Green petioled types are chinese pak choi green, mei qing choi…etc.
Health benefits of bok choy
- Bok choy is one of the popular very low calorie, leafy vegetable. Nonetheless, it is a very rich source of many vital phyto-nutrients, vitamins, minerals and health-benefiting anti-oxidants.
- 100 g of bok choy carries just 13 calories. It is one of the recommended vegetables in the zero calorie or negative calorie category of food items, which when eaten would add no extra calories into the body but facilitate calorie burns and reduction of body weight.
- As in other Brassica family vegetables, bok choy too contains certain anti-oxidant plant chemicals such asthiocyanates, indole-3-carbinol, lutein, zea-xanthin, sulforaphane and isothiocyanates. Together with dietary fiber and vitamins, these compounds help to protect against breast, colon, and prostate cancers and help reduce LDL or “bad cholesterol” levels in the blood.
- Fresh pak choi is an excellent source of water-soluble antioxidant, vitamin-C (ascorbic acid). 100 g provides 45 mg or 75 % of daily requirements of vitamin C. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
- Bok-choy has more vitamin A, carotenes, and other flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants than cabbage,cauliflower, etc. Just 100 g of fresh Bokchoy leaves provide 4468 IU or 149% of daily-required levels vitamin A.
- Pak choi is a very good source of vitamin K, provides about 38% of RDA levels. Vitamin-K has a potential role in the bone metabolism by promoting osteotrophic activity in bone cells. Hence, enough vitamin K in the diet makes your bone stronger, healthier and delay osteoporosis. Further, vitamin-K also has been found to have an established role in curing Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in their brain.
- Fresh bok choy is vital source of B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine, and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that our body requires them from external sources to replenish.
- Further, this leafy vegetable is a moderate source of minerals, particularly calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron and magnesium. Potassium is an important electrolyte in the cell and body fluids that helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is required for the red blood cell formation.
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 13 kcal | <1% |
| Carbohydrates | 2.18 g | 1.5% |
| Protein | 1.5 g | 3% |
| Total Fat | 0.20 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 mg | 2.5% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 66 µg | 16% |
| Niacin | 0.500 mg | 3% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.088 mg | 1.5% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.194 mg | 15% |
| Riboflavin | 0.070 mg | 5% |
| Thiamin | 0.040 mg | 3.5% |
| Vitamin A | 4468 IU | 149% |
| Vitamin C | 45 mg | 75% |
| Vitamin K | 45.5 µg | 38% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 65 mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 252 mg | 5% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 105 mg | 10.5% |
| Iron | 0.80 mg | 10% |
| Magnesium | 19 mg | 5% |
| Manganese | 0.159 mg | 7% |
| Phosphorus | 37 mg | 5% |
| Zinc | 0.19 mg | 1.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-? | 1 µg | — |
| Carotene-ß | 2681 µg | — |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 40 µg | — |
Selection and storage
Although bok choy is available year-round, however, it is at its best during winter season. In the markets, buy fresh harvest featuring firm stalks and dark green crispy flavorful leaves. Avoid slump plant with leaves wilted and lost their luster.
Once at home store whole pak choi (bok-choy) in the vegetable compartment inside the refrigerator set at high relative humidity. If stored appropriately, it stays fresh for up to 3-4 days without the loss of much of nutrients. However, pak choi is more nutritious, sweeter, and flavorful when used fresh.
Preparation and serving methods
Trim of the base and remove outer discolored leaves. Wash the whole vegetable in cold water. Gently pat dry or place it upside down until all the water drained out.
To prepare, separate outer stalks from the base using a paring knife and slice the whole plant in equal halves lengthwise. Then, chop from the stem end about an inch apart and work towards its leafy end. Add it into a variety of recipes, either combined with other vegetables or enjoy all alone in stir-fry or soup.
Here are some of the preparation tips:
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| Bok choy stir-fry with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and a bit of chili paste. Photo courtesy: Scott |
- Crispy, sweet bok choy stalks can be eaten raw, added to salads, sandwiches, and burgers.
- Its stalks can be used with cabbage in coleslaw.
- Baby bok choy can be a very attractive addition to salads and stir-fries.
- In China and other East Asian regions, it is used much like cabbage in stew fries with added onion, garlic, bell pepper, and green chillies mixed with steamed rice and soy/chilli/tomato sauce to prepare chowmein.
- Pak choi is one of the wonderful vegetables used generously in modern-day recipes like stir fries, soups, stuffing…etc.
- It mixes well with cabbage, chilies, capsicum, onion, ginger, garlic, rice, tofu, meat and poultry.
Safety profile
Like in cabbage, bok choy too contains certain chemical compounds in it known as “goitrogens.” These are plant-based compounds, found abundantly in Brassica/cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli… etc. Prolonged consumption of these vegetables may cause swelling of the thyroid gland, a condition known as goiter. It is, therefore, advised that in some individuals with thyroid dysfunction to minimize use of brassica family vegetables in their food. However, they may be consumed without any reservations by the healthy persons. -nutrition-and-you.com
