Products - Pak Choi (Brassica chinensis)

White Pak Choi Green Pak Choi

Pak Choi (Brassica chinensis) is a member of the Mustard family. Pak Choi and its variations are amongst the most popular vegetables used in Chinese cooking in Hong Kong and parts of Southern China, is now commonplace in European cooking. Also commonly known as 'bok choy', the broad green leaves, which taper to white stalks, are crisp and crunchy. The Cantonese name is bok choy or pak choi and the Mandarin name is bai cai. The name means white vegetable in Chinese.

Pak Choi leaves are soft and succulent, with crunchy white or green stalks and young sweet flavoured flower shoots. The whole plant is edible. The slight mustard flavor of Pak Choi makes it a delightful addition to stir-fries, soups, noodle and meat dishes, and salads, if the young leaves are used. In China, the coarser leaves are often pickled. Pak Choi can be divided into four categories based on appearance: 1. Chinese White Bok Choi is a tall plant (30 cm when harvested) with thick green leaves and white stalks. 2. Shanghai Bok Choi has light green leaves and light green stalks and the plant is harvested when about 15 cm high. 3. Soup Spoon type has cupped ladle-like leaves with white stalks and can grow up to 45 cm in height. 4. Canton type is a short squat type with convoluted dark green leaves and white stalks. Sometimes this type is harvested early as Baby Bok Choi. However, in the UK baby white Pak Choi and green Pak Choi are the most popular varieties. This is one of the most popular Chinese vegetable worldwide and can be found in most large UK Supermarkets.

White Pak Choi Green Pak Choi

Essentially Pak Choi is a cool season crop preferring temperatures of about 15-20C. However, the Canton types (baby Pak Choi) are better suited to warmer climates because in cooler areas they tend to "bolt" and go straight to seed. The Chinese White Bok Choi varieties are also known to have this tendency to bolt. The other two types appear to be quite adaptable to a range of climates.

Most Pak Choi types can tolerate light frosts. The most tolerant is the Shanghai types. There should be great caution to shield the crop from the Wind as it will affect production both in terms of yield and damage to leaves. Wind damaged leaves and any other damaged leaves should be removed before packing.

The planting density depends on the type. The larger Pak Choi varieties (Chinese White Bok Choi, Soup Spoon) are generally grown in 30 cm rows with 45 cm between plants. The smallest Pak Choi varieties are planted in 18-20 cm rows with 2.5-10 cm between plants. Pak Choi can be direct seeded or transplanted as seedlings. Also can either be in outdoor raised beds or in greenhouses.

Depending on the season, Pak Choi is a very quick growing crop and can be ready for harvest 35-55 days after sowing. Harvesting is usually done by hand. The outside and damaged leaves are removed.

Extra care needs to be taken when harvesting, handling and bunching as Pak Choi is easily bruised. It should be stored in cool temperatures of 0-2C with high relative humidity between 90-100%. This can keep the vegetables in good condition for anything from 7-14 days, depending on the variety. Pak Choi can also last up to 30 days in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Production levels will vary according to management but common yields are usually about 15 tonnes per hectare.

Please contact us for more details. Email: David@Rokewood.co.uk / Phone: +44 (0) 1945 583 033

Purple Pak Choi (1)

Purple Pak Choi (2)

Purple Pak Choi (3)

Bok Choy, Bai Cai (Bai Tsai), Cai Trang, Pe Tsai and Pechey.

Asian cooks use the entire plant at many stages of development. Also can be dried by dipping the leaves in boiling water and hanging them out to dry in the sun for several days. Drying enables this highly perishable vegetable to be stored for winter months.

Try our Pak Choi recipes: Sweet soy fried noodles (pad sieu), Pak Choi Soup and Chicken Dumplings, Soup noodles with vegetables, Pak Choi Salad, Char Siu Pork on Steamed Pak Choy, Sichuan Pepper Pork with Pak Choi,Stir Fry Rice with Pak Choi and Pak choi stir-fry.

UK: March-December     SPAIN: December-March