Pak choi, otherwise known as bok choy, is a Chinese cabbage popular in stir fry dishes all over the world. It has an oblong shape, with leaves sprouting from the stalk, instead of a round shape like more traditional cabbages. It is used in Asian dishes, usually stir fry or spring rolls.
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1 Wok
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1 Small Pak Choi (Boy Choy)
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1 Tablespoon of Oil
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Salt To Taste
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Light Soy Sauce
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Oyster Sauce
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Sliced Ginger
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Step 1: Choosing Pak Choi
When choosing pak choi, be sure to choose a cabbage with a firm stalk and fresh, crisp leaves. The less blemishes on your Chinese cabbage, the better. Bigger, however, isn't always better. The smaller cabbages are sweeter, so if you're looking for sweet bok choy, choose a smaller cabbage. Make sure the cabbage you choose has no slimy pieces.
 | Pak choi should be refrigerated until use, and can be stored up to five days after purchase. An again, remember to discard any slimy pieces. |
Step 2: Wash Pak Choi
Wash your Chinese cabbage well, being sure to rinse between all the leaves and stalks with cold, running water, to remove the dirt. Shake dry after you've washed your cabbage.
Step 3: Prepare Your Cabbage
Remove the leaves from the stalks with a knife. Cut the stalks into smaller pieces than the leaves, usually about one or half inch squares. Roughly cut the leaves into the desired size. You can also cut the entire leaf, stalk included, in three or four lengthwise sections.
 | Pak Choi is similar to celery in its mild taste, and can be eaten raw either by itself or in a salad. You can also make delicious Chinese cooking inspired sandwiches with your pak choi. |
Step 4: Cook
In most dishes, pak choi is used as a stir fry ingredient. To stir fry, heat one tablespoon of oil over high heat for two to three minutes until it's hot but not smoking. Add the stalks and leaves to wok or frying pan. Add a little salt to taste and cook the pak choi for two to three minutes. For whole leaves, cook up to 8 minutes.
| While low in calories, pak choi is full of vitamins A and C and iron. Pak choi is available all year round in grocery stores and specialty Asian markets. Indeed one cup of cooked pak choi contains 15% of your recommended daily allowance of calcium - the equivalent of 1/4 pint of full fat milk. It also goes really well with ginger and garlic - which are both "superfoods" and immune system boosters. |
Step 5: Serve
Serve your cooked pak choi with a light soy sauce, or with your stir fry recipe. Some people add a little bit of sliced ginger and an oyster sauce as well.
Pak choi, known in China as simply "white vegetable", is a mild, sweet cabbage that can add a taste of Asia to your dinner table. It is mostly popular in Asian and European countries, although its popularity is beginning to spread all over the world. Hopefully its popularity will spread to your kitchen and your family's dinner table.
