Bok Choy, Pak Choi and relatives

Including seedling, Canton, Shanghai, Taiwan, choy sum types; and tatsoi and yau choy

See also: CHINESE CABBAGE

Just what is bok choy? “Bok choy [is] sometimes referred to as Chinese cabbage,” writes A. Zee in his delicious cultural-culinary journey, Swallowing Clouds, raising the first problem: interchangeable names. Since both originate in China, perhaps translation will clarify? Zee then illustrates that the character “choy” (Cantonese, also romanized as “choi”) means “vegetable,” and the character “bok” (or “pak”) means “white.” There you have it: white vegetable! Add “sum” (meaning “heart”) and you see what’s needed to get you everywhere and nowhere in defining bok choy.