Recently this Chinese vegetable "Bok Choy" (or "Pak Choy") has gain great popularity among cooks here in the States, they are being featured in many celebrity chefs' dishes/cookbooks, and lately big box supermarkets begin carrying them. But if you ever shop at Asian supermarkets and ask for Bok Choy, you might be getting something different, something like this (see picture on the right). So why?

The "Bok Choy" that the chefs refer to is actually called "Shanghai Bok Choy" (上海白菜) or Qing Jiang Cai (青江菜). Unlike the other Bok Choy, which have white stem, theirs are green, which is why the Shanghaiese locals refer them as Qing Jiang Cai or Qing Cai (green vegetable). They have a much softer texture than the others, so minimum cooking time required. Overcooking them, they become very soggy and mushy. Their mild and sweet flavor is the perfect balance for the thick and spicy Shanghaiese or northern style dishes.

Since their stems are thicker than the leaves, so if you stir fry them together, the leaves might get overcooked, while the stems are still not done. Best to cook the stems first - I like to break them into half when using the big one. I know a lot of American chefs suggest eating them raw, but as Chinese, eating raw/undercook Bok Choy could be harmful to your body especially to those with low immune system. So a quick stir fry is what I would suggest as the best way to serve them.

This Bok Choy will go well when cooked with other ingredients like meats, or shrimp. And if you have a Asian supermarket by you, look for the small baby one, they are much easier to cook since their stems and leaves are similar in size, but they are usually more pricey than the big one, also remember to look for Shanghai Bok Choy and not just Bok Choy - we have at least 3-4 different kinds, which I will introduce them in my coming blog.

Technically, all vegetables can be stir fry the same way, however, with vegetables like this Shanghai Bok Choy, the stir fry time is slightly different from the rest. So I have included a recipe of how to stir fry this new "celebrity" Chinese vegetable in my Bachelor Menu, so check it out.