Bok Choy

Latin name: Brassica rapa var. chinensis

🌱 Days to Sprout: 5-10

😋 Plant food: after true leaves 

✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube

🍅 Days to Maturity: 20-45

💡 Light Zone:  Moderate

📏 Plant Size: <1 ft 

💚 Care Level: Beginner

Bok Choy, also called Pac Choy, originates from the Yangtze River Delta in China, where people first bred it 3,500 years ago from wild Brassicas growing in the region. In Cantonese, Bok Choy means “white vegetable”, though it comes in many different colors and sizes. Beginning in the 1300s, traders imported Bok Choy to Korea, where people began fermenting it to create kimchi.

Bok Choy is a superfood rich in Vitamins A and C, plus beta-carotene which can help prevent cell damage from free radicals. It also contains selenium, which can slow or inhibit tumor growth, and quercetin, which can aid in reducing inflammation.

Add raw Bok Choy to salads as an accent green with a nutritional boost. It’s also delicious steamed or added to soups and stir-fries. 

💡Temperature: Prefers cooler temperatures (60-70°F). If placed in higher temperatures, it can turn bitter and bolt.

✂️ Pruning: Check the roots monthly and trim any that are brown or extending past the yPod. To delay bolting, cut yellow-flowering stems as they appear.

🔎 Plant Health: Thrips are a common pest, but you can use our prevention and treatment tricks to keep pests at bay!

🥬 Harvest: For ongoing harvest, snip the outer leaves just above the base of the plant once they reach 2-3 inches tall to let the inner leaves continue to grow. Leave 1/3 of the plant if you want it to keep growing. To harvest the full head, wait until it reaches maturity, then harvest from the base.

Wok-Braised Bok Choy

Recipe Source: Jessica Gavin

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby Bok Choy

• 2 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable broth

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided

• 1 teaspoon honey

• ⅛ teaspoon red chili flakes

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 2 teaspoons minced ginger

• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts

• ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Rinse the Bok Choy with water, shaking off any excess water. Dry using a kitchen towel or paper towels.

2. Halve each Bok Choy lengthwise.

3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, broth, vinegar, 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, honey, and red chili flakes.

4. In a wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over high heat until just smoking.

5. Use tongs to carefully place the Bok Choy cut side down in a single layer in the wok, lightly press down to make contact with the surface.

6. Cook until lightly browned without moving, about 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Flip the Bok Choy over and cook the other side until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

8. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok. Add garlic, ginger, and green onions, and stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

9. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, simmer until thickened, about 30 seconds.

10. Add Bok Choy back to the wok. Stir fry until the sauce glazes the greens, about 1 to 2 minutes.

11. Transfer to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds.

Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies