What is Chinese white cabbage called?
Napa cabbage, the most common variety, is the subspecies pekinensis. The name is most likely derived from the Japanese word nappa—meaning leafy green—rather than a location, which is why it's not capitalized. You may also see it labeled as Chinese white cabbage, Peking cabbage, or celery cabbage.
What are the various types of Chinese cabbage?
This versatile vegetable comes in two types: bok choy (aka pak choi), which features tall, narrow heads with thick white stalks and deep green leaves; and napa cabbage, which is more compact and resembles a miniature head of romaine lettuce.
What is Chinese cabbage in Filipino?
We call it pechay baguio in the Philippines. In English-speaking countries, its most common name is wombok.
Is bok choy and Chinese cabbage the same?
Turnips, Chinese cabbage, and bok choy are all the same plant species. THE CHINESE CABBAGE AND BOK CHOY PLANTS Chinese cabbage leaves are in a “head” and bok choy leaves are loosely joined together. The heads of Chinese cabbage can have different shapes.
Is Savoy cabbage Chinese cabbage?
Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, has a bit more of a peppery kick, although their uses are similar. The easiest way to tell them apart is that napa cabbage is oblong in shape, while savoy cabbage is round.
What are Chinese greens called?
A Visual Guide to 10 Varieties of Asian GreensNapa Cabbage. Also known as: Chinese cabbage. ... Gai Lan. Also known as: Chinese broccoli, kai lan. ... Pea Shoots. Also known as: Snow pea shoots, snow pea tips, snow pea leaves, pea tendrils. ... Bok Choy. ... Yau Choy. ... Gai Choy. ... Water Spinach. ... Chinese Celery.More items...•
What is Pechay Baguio in English?
In the United Kingdom this vegetable is known as Chinese leaf or winter cabbage, and in the Philippines as petsay (from Hokkien, 白菜 (pe̍h-tshài)) or pechay baguio. Another name used in English is petsai or pe-tsai.
What is pechay in English?
Petsay is a popular vegetable in the Philippines. It is a subspecies of the plant having the scientific name Brassica rapa. It is also known as snow cabbage, Chinese chard or Chinese white cabbage in English.
Is Chinese cabbage same as cabbage?
Regular cabbage grows into a round sphere, its leaves curling inward until they form a tight ball. Chinese cabbage, on the other hand, grows into an oblong shape, its leaves frilling out towards the edges. It's light green with yellow tints, and has a sweeter flavor than its round cousins.
Why is it called Chinese cabbage?
In Chinese, napa cabbage is known as baicai 白菜, or “white vegetable.” The name sounds similar to another Chinese word baicai 百财, which translates to “a hundred riches.” As a result, napa cabbage is also considered a lucky charm in Chinese art.
What can I substitute for Chinese cabbage?
If you don't have Napa Cabbage or just would like an alternative, you can substitute equal amounts of:Bok choy - Use either baby bok choy or the standard large bok choy.OR - Swap out with green cabbage. This cabbage will take longer to cook.OR - Use green Swiss chard which will work equally as well.
What's another name for napa cabbage?
celery cabbagenapa cabbage, (Brassica rapa, variety pekinensis), also called celery cabbage, form of Chinese cabbage, belonging to the mustard family (Brassicaceae), cultivated for its edible leaves.
Do you cook with Chinese cabbage? You'll want to start after you learn more about this vegetable
Of all the vegetables in the Brassica family, cabbage gets the least amount of love. Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are getting their much-deserved time in the spotlight, and once you figure out how to cook broccoli, it turns out perfectly every time.
Cabbage Roll Casserole
I layer cabbage with tomato sauce and ground beef lasagna-style to create a hearty casserole that tastes like cabbage rolls but without all the work. —Doreen Martin, Kitimat, British Columbia
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After years of working in professional kitchens, Lindsay traded her knives in for the pen. While she spends most of her time writing these days, she still exercises her culinary muscles on the regular, taking any opportunity to turn local, seasonal ingredients into beautiful meals for her family.
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What Is Chinese Cabbage?
The scientific name for Chinese cabbage is Brassica rapa. Napa cabbage, the most common variety, is the subspecies pekinensis. The name is most likely derived from the Japanese word nappa —meaning leafy green—rather than a location, which is why it's not capitalized.
How to Cook With Chinese Cabbage
Napa cabbage can be eaten raw in salads. It has high water content and takes on a sweet and juicy flavor when cooked, picking up other flavors from the food it's cooked with. Since it softens as well, it's frequently added to stir-fries and soups in the last stages of cooking.
What Does It Taste Like?
Raw napa cabbage has a thin, crisp texture and a mild taste, and when cooked, it softens and gets sweeter.
Chinese Cabbage Recipes
Napa cabbage is often featured in Chinese noodle dishes, spring rolls, potstickers, and pork buns, as well as stir-fries .
Where to Buy
Due to its increased popularity, it is getting easier to find napa cabbage in grocery stores, where it's often sold by the pound. If you don't have luck there, it's regularly available in Asian markets. When selecting napa cabbage, look for a head with firm green leaves that are not wilted or look like they have been eaten by bugs.
Storage
Store napa cabbage in plastic wrap because you'll rarely find a head that fits in plastic storage bags. It will keep well in the crisper section of the refrigerator for about three days. If you plan on cooking it, you may be able to get away with a longer period of time. The cabbage has gone bad when you notice spots on the leaves.
Pekinensis (napa cabbage)
We call it pechay baguio in the Philippines. In English-speaking countries, its most common name is wombok.
Chinensis (bok choy)
Chinese cabbages falling under the Chinensis group do not form heads. Commercially, they are sold under various names including bok choy, pak choy, pei tsai and choy sum. Some hybrids have white stalks (like the Filipino pechay ); others have light green stalks (like Taiwanese bok choy ).
It has a distinctive flavor
Chinese cabbage is available in several forms, such as napa cabbage — that types name probably derives from the Japanese word nappa, rather than the location in California, says The Spruce Eats. According to The Kitchn, its sweeter taste works especially well in dishes like salads.
It's packed with nutrients
Chinese cabbage offers several health perks to those who consume it regularly. According to Healthline, Chinese cabbage is a great low-calorie option and convenient to add to your regular diet with a few tweaks. What's more, one cup only has around 22 calories, one gram of protein, and two grams of fiber.
You can experiment with it
If you're considering introducing Chinese cabbage into your meals, you'll be happy to know that you don't need to feel restricted to a few options. Feel free to experiment a little. According to Taste of Home, coleslaw is especially tasty when made with Chinese cabbage. Or go ahead and add the vegetable to your sandwiches to make them crunchier.
Choosing and Buying
Napa cabbage is a very versatile ingredient to cook with. It can be eaten raw, quickly cooked like in a stir-fry, or cooked for a long time in a rich stew. Like tofu, Napa cabbage absorbs the flavors of the foods around it. That’s why a lot of Chinese people like to add Napa cabbage in their soups or cook in a hot pot.
Cooking
Napa cabbage is so versatile and quite popular in Chinese cuisine. It's a key ingredient in Chinese creamed cabbage. This is a rare type of recipe. Dairy products were rarely used in China, partly because of the high incidence of lactose intolerance among the East Asian population.
Common Types of Cabbage (With Pictures and Names)
Let’s look in more detail at the many varieties of cabbage that you can find in your local store or farmer’s market.
Green Cabbage
The most common variety of cabbage is green cabbage ( Brassica oleracea ). The large round cabbage head has densely packed thick leaves. The outer leaves of the cabbage head are usually medium to light green and they fade to pale green or white the closer they are to the center.
Savoy Cabbage
The Savoy cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var. sabauda L.) is a type of green cabbage with crinkly blueish-green leaves. Many people prefer Savoy cabbage to regular cabbage due to its milder taste and tender leaves.
Red Cabbage
There are many red cabbage varieties that have leaves with shades of color between deep red and deep purple.
White (Dutch) Cabbage
White cabbages (also called Dutch cabbages as they come from Holland) are actually a type of green cabbage which can have very pale-colored leaves. The sun usually turns the outer leaves pale green leaving white, tightly packed leaves in the center.
Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage)
Napa cabbage ( Brassica rapa ‘pekinensis’) is a type of Chinese cabbage with an oblong shape. These Chinese cabbage varieties have pale green and yellow leaves and a thick white crunchy stem.
Bok Choy
Another type of Chinese cabbage with thin tender white and green leaves is Bok choy ( Brassica rapa chinensis ). Bok choy (also called pak choi) is a member of the cruciferous family of leafy green vegetables.
What is napa cabbage?
Touted as one of the most popular Asian greens around the world, napa cabbage is taken from the Japanese word “nappa,’” which is known as the edible leaves of vegetables. In the supermarket, napa cabbage features these white and light green, tightly-wrapped, almost football-shaped heads, which should help you differentiate them from the regular cabbage. Napa cabbage is called Chinese cabbage as the vegetable has most likely originated from, well, China. This leafy, green vegetable is called napa or Chinese cabbage here in the U.S.
What does napa cabbage taste like?
Napa cabbage boasts a slightly sweeter and milder taste than the ordinary, green cabbage. In terms of color and texture, it’s related to bok choy, right with its darker albeit earthier colors. The leaves of a napa cabbage are smooth and tender, while its white veins are edible.
How to store napa cabbage
After harvesting the napa cabbage heads, it’s recommended that you clean and refrigerate them. Napa cabbage is quite notorious for its wilting qualities; its leaves should become bitter as its head dries out. Once the napa cabbage’s heads are rinsed thoroughly, you need to drain them upside-down to ward off water from accumulating in the dense folds of the leaves. When the leaves are drained, keep them through your fridge’s crisper drawer. This section should provide high humidity and cool temperatures, extending the life of the Chinese leaves. You may store a whole napa cabbage in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. For the unwashed parts, you may also keep them in the fridge; they can be fresh up to a week as well. Meanwhile, wrapping napa cabbage in plastic should be able to help them from wilting..
How to cook with napa cabbage?
Popular in Chinese cuisine, napa cabbage can be served raw, such as in a salad or slaw. There’s also the lion head Chinese meatballs, which features napa cabbage.
Tips on buying napa cabbage
When choosing napa cabbage, I’d look for those with firm green leaves that aren’t wilted; the same can be said for cabbages that already show some signs of being eaten by bugs. Napa cabbage is massive by default. As it is, they should also feel heavy.
Do you eat the white part of napa cabbage?
Yes. The white part of napa cabbage, mostly its stalks, can be eaten raw or cooked.
Is napa cabbage and Chinese cabbage the same thing?
While most grocery stores would label napa cabbage as Chinese cabbage, you must know the difference between bok choy and pak choy, or any other Asian greens, as these stores would put them under the same label.
History
Characteristics
- The more common of the two groups, this cabbage is most often referred to as Napa cabbage, but you may also see it labeled as Chinese white cabbage, Peking cabbage, or celery cabbage. This oblong shaped, large-headed cabbage has firmly packed, crinkly, pale green, thickly veined leaves and a white stalk (hence the alternative name). More healthful than western cabbages, N…
Diet
- When selecting Napa cabbage, look for firm green leaves that are not wilted or look like they have been eaten by bugs. Store the cabbage in a plastic bag in the crisper section of the refrigerator for up to three days. If you notice any spots have developed on the leaves, it means the cabbage has gone bad and turned bitter and should not be eaten.
Varieties
- Although most often labeled as bok choy, this type of Chinese cabbage is also known as bok choi, pok choy, white mustard cabbage, andto add confusionChinese white cabbage. Instead of forming a cabbage head, bok choy develops a cluster of leaves that are smooth and dark green, creating a structure similar to celery. This type of Chinese cabbage is p...
Appearance
- Bok choy is commonly found in supermarkets, and you will see both smaller \"baby bok choy\" as well as the mature larger variety. Baby bok choy is light green in color, distinguishing itself from the mature bok choy's dark green leaves growing from the white stems.
Cuisine
- Napa cabbage and bok choy are both eaten raw in salads and can be cooked similarly. Napa cabbage has a high water content and thus, when cooked, takes on a sweet and juicy taste. It is often featured in Chinese noodle dishes, spring rolls, potstickers, and pork buns, as well as stir-fries, such as a spicy stir-fried Chinese cabbage dish. Chinese pork dumplings include Napa cab…
Variations
- In addition to incorporating into traditional Chinese recipes, you can also use Napa cabbage to line a bamboo steamer to help prevent food from sticking to the bottom when cooking.
Preparation
- Before cooking with bok choy, you need to remove any dirt from inside the leaves. To clean, quarter the baby bok choy or chop mature bok choy and place in a bowl of cold water; move the leaves around a bit to release the dirt and then transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel.