Bok Chow & Pac Choi

By Debbie Leung

Bok choy, pak choy, pac choi, bai tsai, baby pok choy, Shanghai bok choy – enough to drive Western gardeners crazy. Why so many ways to identify this mild but tasty Asian green in the brassica family? Asia is a really big place and regional dialects result in different pronunciations and spellings. Other name variations are the result of varieties developed over time that adapted to different growing conditions. And these are just the Chinese names. People in Japan and the Philippines, for example, call it something totally different.

Literally translated, bok choy means "white vegetable" and most of the many varieties do have juicy, crunchy stalks (petioles, actually) that are a pure milky white. It is the Cantonese in southern China who call it "bok choy." The spelling is complicated by the fact that there is no generally accepted convention for spelling Cantonese words – hence bok, pak, pac, pok… Speakers of Mandarin, now the official language of China but originally the dialect of northerners, ask for "bai tsai (bye chai)."

Bok choy has been a dietary staple for a long time, over 1500 years. People grew it in the home gardens that fed their families. It is poor people's food. With bok choy now becoming popular in the west, F-1 hybrid varieties were developed of its most popular forms to establish conformity in size, shape, and maturation rates. But bok choy is closely related to the mustards, and mustards are not prone to conform in nature. Its many variations are still available to growers, as evidenced by visits to Asian groceries with large produce sections.

Following its People

Bok choy can also be found in some western grocery stores, especially those near Asian populations. It originally moved out of Asia as people there emigrated abroad. People from southern China heard stories in the 1800's about California's gold rush. Poor and with little hope of improving their lives in China, young men came to find "Gold Mountain" and take advantage of economic opportunities. They found no mountain of gold. Instead, jobs were scarce and the atmosphere was hot with hostility. Facing an unknown future when they left their homes and families, the men brought seeds of their favorite vegetables like bok choy with them. With no financial support, many used their agricultural skills to grow market gardens and make a living in an era when the west was dependent upon agricultural supplies from the east.

Varieties

Many westerners are now familiar with the tall white-petioled bok choy varieties with dark, jade-green leaves that have become the commercial standard. Its miniature counterpart is sometimes marketed as Shanghai bok choy, evidence of farmers in some regions developing varieties identifying their area. Some would call it "baby bok choy" but that moniker is often reserved for the bok choys of the same diminutive size but with lighter green leaves, and petioles with a greenish hue. These are not tall varieties harvested young, but fully mature heads that grow to only about six inches tall.

Since various forms of bok choy are common in most corners of Asia, varieties adapted to the growing conditions of most any gardener can be found. "Oriental Vegetable Seeds", the catalog for Evergreen Y.H. Enterprises (P.O. Box 17538, Anaheim, CA, 92817), offers seven non-hybrid varieties listed under "Chinese Cabbage, loose-leaved type". Some claim to be slow bolting, resistant to high temperatures, or suitable for growing in the tropics. Others grow best in mild or temperate climates, or should be reserved for sowing in the spring or fall.

Fall crops are generally easiest to grow. Sow directly into the garden in late July or August. The plants can withstand light frost although alternate freezing and thawing will result in damage. To grow in spring, pick varieties described as early and slow bolting. The growing needs of bok choy are similar to cabbage. It likes soil with good fertility and water-holding capacity. If temperatures are hot, more water will be required. Grow the larger varieties with 6 to 12 inches between plants. More space will result in larger specimens. Half that space is plenty for the smaller "baby" types. The seeds germinate quickly and plants mature fast. Harvest by cutting the entire head just as it reaches full size. Thinnings, the real baby bok choy, are tender and tasty at any size. To keep a variety going, save the seeds as for any brassica.

Insect damage from root maggots and flea beetles can be prevented with row covers buried around the seed bed and removed when the plants of the tall varieties grow to about five inches. Aphids can be a problem in the heat of summer. Diseases that can be a problem for brassicas like mildews and leaf spot also attack bok choy depending on the region, weather, and irrigation factors.

On the Dinner Table

All of the bok choy plant is edible, even the flowers and flowering stalk if it bolts. It can be eaten raw in salads, steamed, used in stir fry, and put in soup. The leaves are a good source of calcium, fiber, and Vitamins A and C. It has little sodium and few calories. The following is a simple recipe, as told to me by a friend, for cooking any variety of bok choy. It is how poor people cooked it in China, although it is now revered in fancy restaurants. As is the case of most Chinese cooking, the amounts of ingredients are inexact, depending upon taste and availability.

Bok Choy with Ham and Ginger

Chop the stalks of a large bok choy diagonally into 1/4 by 1-1/2 inch pieces. Cut the leaves in half vertically, then into 1/4 inch ribbons. For baby bok choy, chop the leaves off several heads and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Slice vertically through the stalks and heart of the bottom ends to cut each in half. With each half, continue to slice vertically through the stalks and heart to create wedges containing a portion of heart and stalk.

Make very thin, one-inch long slivers out of one or two slices of thinly-sliced ham. This is used primarily for flavoring. Slice ginger very thinly, then chop into very thin slivers one inch long, enough to make one tablespoonful. Heat a wok or skillet. Coat it with canola (or other light) oil, sprinkle a few drops of toasted sesame oil, and add a teaspoon of salt. Throw in the ginger, coat it with oil for a few seconds, then add the bok choy and toss. When the bok choy begins to wilt, throw in the ham. Toss quickly and when the ham is hot, put it all into a plate or bowl.

Dissolve cornstarch into cold water to make a thin paste. Put about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of unsalted chicken broth into the unwashed wok or skillet. Season to taste with about two teaspoons soy sauce (my friend insists that oyster sauce is more delicious and fish sauce is another variation – both found in Asian groceries), and a pinch of sugar. When the broth simmers, thicken it by slowly drizzling in the cornstarch liquid while stirring the broth until it reaches the desired consistency. Let it simmer another minute. Throw the vegetables back in, toss, and season with white pepper to taste. Serve hot over rice.

Debbie Leung is owner of "9th Heaven" farm, in Olympia, WA and specializes in Asian vegetables and herbs. She is an organic gardening expert and writer. We thank her for this great story.