What Is Bok Choy?

Bok choy, like Napa cabbage — which it is often confused with — is a type of Chinese cabbage. Both are cruciferous vegetables, meaning they belong to the family brassicaceae, which also includes vegetables like Brussels sprouts and collard greens. Bok choy, a leafy green vegetable that has been cultivated in China for more than 5,000 years, resembles romaine lettuce or Swiss chard on the top and celery on the bottom.

According to WebMD, one cup of cooked bok choy provides more than 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin A, and close to two-thirds the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. Raw bok choy is also a great source of folate, according to the book Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition. Bok choy supplies potassium for healthy muscle and nerve function, and vitamin B6 for carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.

Bok choy can be enjoyed raw, in a salad, or with a healthy dip; steamed, which you can even do in a microwave; or, our favorite, stir-fried, which you can do many, many ways. When stir-fried, the stalks soften and have a sweeter taste.