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Chinese Cabbages

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Ingredients and directions for this recipe

As members of the genus Brassica, Chinese cabbages have all the health
benefits associated with their better-known relatives, such as
broccoli and cauliflower. There are literally scores of varieties of
Chinese cabbages. What all these vegetables have in common is texture
that can be both crunch and creamy, and a sweet, juicy, mild flavor
that blends well with other foods. There are differences among the
Chinese cabbages, but most of them are virtually interchangeable. And
they can easily be distinguished by dividing them into heading and
non-heading categories.

Of the heading cabbages, Chinese celery cabbage, also known as Peking
cabbage (wong nga baak in Cantonese)is widely available in two forms:
Napa, with full leaves and an oval head; and Tientsin, also known as
Michihili, which has a long, cylindrical shape.

Of the non-heading, leafy cabbages, bok choy is the most widely
available. It typically has dark green leaves and ivory stalks, and
is traditionally used in soups, stir-fried dishes with meats and
seafood, and in pickled salads. Like broccoli, this is really two
vegetables in one: the stalks have a sweet cabbage-like flavor, the
leaves a mildly bitter bite.

Flowering bok choy (choy sum), an immature plant, is found
sporadically throughout the year. It looks like bok choy with narrow
stalks and yellow flowers. Also used in stir-fries, flowering bok
choy is sometimes arranged around the outside of a dish as an edible
garnish.

Shanghai bok choy, Shanghai cabbage, or baby hearts of cabbage (seut
choy), another member of the bok choy family, has spoon-shaped, vivid
green stalks and flat, full leaves. So small that many markets bundle
five or six plants together, Shanghai bok choy is sweeter (and
considerably more expensive) than ordinary bok choy, and is used
whole or split, in stir-fries or as an edible garnish.

Chinese oil vegetable, or flowering cabbage (yow choy), is the
treasured cabbage of Hong Kong and was traditionally grown for its
oil. Look for it year-round in Chinese and other specialty markets.
With slim, tender stalks, oval leaves, and bright yellow flowers,
this slightly bitter plant is often simply stir-fried in smoking hot
oil with rice wine and a pinch of salt. Like Shanghai bok choy and
flowering bok choy, it is also used as an edible garnish.

Cook's Illustrated Charter Issue

See also:
Previous recipe Chinese Cabbage Salad 2
Next recipe Chinese Carrots And Mushrooms

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