Buk choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)

Also known as

Chinese chard, Chinese white cabbage, mustard cabbage, bai cai, pak choy, bok choy.

General information

“Buk choy” literally means “white vegetable” in Cantonese.  There are hundreds of varieties of these vegetables.  Some have short stems with large dark green leaves, others have longer, more slender stems with almost circular leaves.

What we call “baby” buk choy is not really an immature buk choy, but a dwarfed variety which usually grows no more than 20cm tall.  This is sometimes called “Moonbuk” or “Gongmoon buk choy”.

Varieties of Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis with green stems are called “pak choy” in Australia;  “buk choy” is only used to refer to white stemmed types.  Buk choy should also not be confused with “tatsoi” (Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa), which is distinguished by its small, round leaves and flattened rosette shape.

Cooking tips

Buk choy is almost like two vegetables in one, the thick, juicy stems adding an interesting texture to a dish while the dark green leaves add a different consistency and flavour. Buk choy is commonly steamed, stir fried or boiled in soup. When cooking buk choy, it is best to add the stems first as they take longer to cook. Slicing them diagonally helps to expose the inner surfaces which will soak up the sauces and flavours in the surrounding dish.