Pak choi

Pak choi is a relative of the Chinese cabbage. It forms loose heads with medium-sized, dark green leaves and is native to Asia, but also thrives in Europe.

What you should know about Pak Choi

As the name suggests, Pak Choi is native to Asia. The cabbage, which is related to the Chinese cabbage, thrives particularly well in the warm and humid areas of Asia, but can also be grown well in temperate areas of Europe. Then it usually grows in greenhouses.

Pak Choi is also called Pak choy, Bok Choy or Pok Choi and occurs as baby pak choi with small Kolhköpf as well as Shanghai pak choi, whose leaf panicles are green instead of white. Pak Choi grows to harvest-ready size within 6 to 8 weeks and is therefore considered a fast-growing cabbage. While it is still mostly grown year-round in Asia, there have also been economically relevant growing areas in the Netherlands since 2004, which also produce pak choi all year round.

The rather loose head of cabbage forms dark green leaves that look like Swiss chard.

Towards the root they become white. Depending on the size, pak choi is prepared whole or chopped as a vegetable. It can be used similarly to spinach, savoy cabbage, or other cabbage and leafy vegetables. It is particularly popular in Asian dishes, but is also used in pasta. In addition to vitamins and minerals, Pak Choi also contains phytochemicals and is therefore often prepared as gently as possible in order to preserve these ingredients.

Importance to health

Pak Choi is very popular as a green vegetable due to its valuable ingredients. In larger amounts it contains potassium, calcium, vitamin C and several B vitamins. Carotene also appears in relevant quantities in pak choi.

The phytochemicals in which Pak Choi is rich include flavonoids, mustard oils (glucosinulates) and phenolic acid. The secondary plant substances have an antioxidant effect and prevent the development of various diseases. They are also said to have an antibacterial, germicidal effect, which is currently still being researched. As with almost all plant-based foods, most of the ingredients in pak choi remain in the leaves if they are prepared as gently as possible. Brief sautéing, steaming and cooking are therefore the most common forms of preparation.

Ingredients & nutritional values

As a plant, pak choi contains very little fat, but fiber, carbohydrates and some protein. However, the protein content is so low that it cannot replace the missing meat in a vegetarian diet, for example. Pak Choi is also very low in calories.

Potassium, calcium, sodium and folic acid are represented in greatest quantities on the mineral side. The vitamin C content is almost enough to cover the daily requirement. There are also many B vitamins, vitamin A (carotene) and vitamin K can also be found in Pak Choi. Also worth mentioning are the secondary plant substances, which serve the Pak Choi as a natural defense against predators, but are associated with various protective properties against diseases for humans.

Intolerances & allergies

Pak Choi has not been eaten for too long in this country, but it has already established itself as a food for allergy sufferers. It is considered to be relatively well tolerated and only very rarely triggers a reaction. If an allergic reaction to pak choi occurs, it is often in connection with a known allergy to various types of cabbage.

Pak Choi is often used in baby food as a substitute for spinach - babies may still be sensitive to it. This is usually not due to an allergy, but rather to the fact that the vegetables are new and unfamiliar to the young, immature metabolism. Pak Choi can be offered to the baby again after a while and is probably better tolerated since the young metabolism first had to get used to it.

Shopping & kitchen tips

Since Pak Choi is either imported from Asia or cultivated in greenhouses in this country, it hardly has a clearly defined season. Pak Choi can be grown almost all year round in Asia, and it can also be grown all year round in a greenhouse.

When buying, you should look for intact, dark green leaves, the color of which is roughly the same as that of rocket or spinach. Hanging, discolored or very thin and limp-looking cabbage leaves, on the other hand, indicate that the pak choi is no longer fresh. That would be unproblematic at most with sautéed dishes, since it would wither anyway. In terms of taste, pak choi is the most pleasant fresh. It can usually be stored for a few days after purchase, but should be used quickly. It can be stored wrapped in a damp cloth at cool temperatures for up to two weeks.

He is used to this humidity from his Asian homeland and then stays fresh a little longer. The Pak Choi doesn't mind room temperature too much, but it doesn't last that long. As pak choi may have come into contact with insect repellent during cultivation, it should always be washed off thoroughly before use. There is also nothing against blanching - this type of cabbage preparation is particularly recommended for salads.

Preparation tips

Pak Choi is eaten raw or blanched as a salad vegetable. It can either be left in the whole leaf or roughly chopped. He doesn't mind chopping, so the salad can also be well prepared. In its Asian homeland, Pak Choi is often used for wok dishes. It is roughly chopped for this purpose, whereby the whole cabbage can be used - including its white components. It is sautéed in the wok for only a few minutes.

This type of preparation has also proven itself in other dishes that are prepared with pak choi. In western cuisine, for a change, cabbage is used instead of other types of cabbage, spinach, arugula or similar green leafy vegetables. It is also well suited for preparing pasta sauces, which are often newly created. It is always prepared as gently as possible, i.e. either eaten raw, sautéed very briefly or gently cooked. Pak Choi wilts after just a few minutes when exposed to heat, which makes the white part of the cabbage softer and the leaves even more flavorful.

With your own creations, you should take into account the intense taste of the pak choi, which is not weakened by careful preparation. In order to preserve the valuable ingredients as much as possible, pak choi should never be heated too high.