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Bok Choy

About Me

Cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Bok choy's popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is bok choy high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories.The Chinese commonly refer to bok choy as pak choi or "white vegetable." Another common name is white cabbage.Although bok choy was introduced to Europe in the 1800's, and is now readily available in supermarkets throughout North America, other cuisines have been slow to embrace it. Bok choy is widely popular in the Philippines, where large numbers of Chinese immigrated following Spain's conquest of the islands in the 1500's. You'll sometimes find bok choy replacing cabbage in pancit, a Philippine noodle dish, and in kimchi, a Korean hot pickle made with garlic and red peppers. Bok choy or pak kwahng toong also appears in Thai recipes. However, you're unlikely to see a piece of bok choy enlivening your Greek or Italian salad anytime in the near future. Ditto for ordering bok choy soups or salads at the local fast food restaurant. While bok choy is grown in the United States and several Canadian provinces, it remains firmly associated with Chinese cooking.Mention the word bok choy, and most of us think of the plant with dark green leaves; however, in Hong Kong over twenty varieties are available. You can also find Shanghai or baby bok choy, a miniaturized version of bok choy, at Asian markets. Cookbook author and television show host Martin Yan notes that westerners have a "bigger is better" philosophy when it comes to Chinese vegetables. The opposite holds true in China, where the smaller varieties are valued for their tenderness. An added benefit is that recipes often call for them to be cooked whole, reducing preparation time.This profile was edited with The Bok Choy Myspace Editor

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