The Chinese have been farming for a long time and have grown many new varieties of vegetables that are now used throughout the world. Such plants include pak choi - leafy Chinese cabbage. It is also called mustard for its pungent unusual taste and celery. Let's figure out what this strange culture is, as well as what is special about growing and preparing pak choi cabbage.
Features of an overseas guest
Unlike white cabbage, pak choi has several specific features:
- The plant does not form a head. Because of this, many consumers are confused pumpkin culture with salad.
- The vegetable is a compact rosette of green leaves with thick petioles pressed against each other.
- One of the best features of the new product is early date ripening - a month and a half after sowing the seeds. This is why pak choi immediately fell in love with summer residents: it became possible to introduce fresh greens into the diet of families and consumers (if cabbage is grown for sale) very early.
- High crop yield. In some regions, gardeners harvest several crops per season.
- Tolerant attitude of the plant to medium-fertilized soil.
For your information, cabbage contains lysine - a useful amino acid, which is the basis for the construction of proteins in our body, regulating metabolism. Many will be interested in the low calorie content of the overseas product - only 13 kcal per 100 g, which is the basis for including the culture in the diet dietary nutrition those who want to get rid of excess weight. Cabbage has a high content of vitamins A, B, P, C, and microelements. 
Varietal diversity of leaf plants
For those who are just starting to cultivate pak choi, it will be interesting to know that there are three types of pak choi:
- dark green appearance with white roots,
- light green plant,
- green bok choy with dark purple leaf tips.
The size of the rosette, reaching a diameter of 40 cm, the height of the crop (from 10 to 50 cm), its early maturity, the safety of the crop, and resistance to pests depend on the type and variety.
When buying seeds of a certain variety, pay attention to these qualities and choose those that suit you. Here are some examples of the different varieties:
Stages of growing a crop
The technology for growing pak choi cabbage is not much different from cabbage production in general. Includes main steps:
- Preparing soil and seeds for planting.
- Sowing seeds for seedlings or in open ground.
- Caring for young shoots:
- Abundant watering without waterlogging.
- Loosening, weeding.
- Thinning in the phase of 2-3 leaves at a distance of 15-20 cm (then the rosettes will be large).
- Fertilizer feeding.
- Pest control.
- Harvesting.
Preparing the land for planting
When determining the location where you will plant pak choy, there are some things to consider:
- Cabbage loves sun or partial shade.
- Crop rotation rules affect the degree of crop yield. Onions, legumes, grains, pumpkins will be good predecessors of the Chinese. It is advisable not to grow in this area used to be cabbage, since they have the same pests and diseases.
- If not found suitable place, it is worth treating the soil with a disinfectant, for example, 1% pharmacoid.
The land for planting pak choy should be prepared in the fall. It is dug up, adding fertilizers (approximately 10 kg of organic matter and 1 tablespoon of superphosphate per square meter). If the soil is acidic, add 1 tbsp to the mixture. a spoonful of lime or wood ash, approximately 200 g per square meter.
In the spring, the soil is loosened, spring digging for sowing is done to a depth of 15 cm. Add 1 tsp. urea per square meter of soil.
Determining the time of planting a crop
Pak choi responds to increasing daylight hours. If it is planted in May, the crop will begin to grow actively, form a stem and bloom.
The best time for planting is April, mid-July. For the southern regions, planting is possible in the second half of August and early September.
Preparing vegetable seedlings
Although root system Cabbage is very tender; the seedling method of cultivation is practiced. The sequence is followed:
Sowing Chinese cabbage seeds
The time for sowing seeds is chosen in early April before the active increase in daylight begins or already in July. During sowing, follow the instructions:
- In the case of sowing seeds directly into open ground, make a distance of at least 30-40 cm between the beds, depending on the cabbage variety.
- The depth of embedding the material is 1-2cm.
- It is recommended to dust the crops with ash to protect them from the cruciferous flea beetle.
- Cover the grooves plastic film to accelerate seed germination.
- Shoots appear on 7-10 days.
For your information, pak choy leaves quickly become coarse when they reach maturity. You shouldn’t sow a lot of seeds at once; it’s better to sow them after a week or a week and a half.
To the two methods described for planting cabbage, you can add one more: obtaining a seedling based on a stalk.
Specifics of plant harvesting and storage
Harvesting can begin even after the plant reaches full maturity, cutting off several young leaves for lettuce.
Young pak choi is cut at a height of 2-3 cm above the ground, an adult - slightly higher. The stem is left to regrow and produce a secondary harvest.
It is advisable to consume pak choy immediately after cutting, as it is stored for a short time. You can wrap washed cabbage leaves in wet towel and place in the refrigerator for a day or two, which will slightly increase the shelf life.
For your information, breeders have developed varieties that have a longer shelf life. For example, Pawa is a hybrid of pak choi and Chinese cabbage. 
Main crop pests and their control
Growing pak choy cabbage is not complete without pest control. The most dangerous for cabbage, especially for young sprouts, are cruciferous flea beetles, cabbage whites and slugs.
Cruciferous flea beetles
They overwinter in the ground, so loosening the soil and abundantly watering the beds can prevent damage to the plants. Agrofibre will also save cabbage if it is used to cover young crops.
Fleas gnaw large holes in the leaf, the leaf gradually dies, which significantly weakens the young sprout, depriving it of adequate nutrition.
Having discovered symptoms, sprinkle the planting with ash or a mixture of ash and tobacco dust, taken in equal quantities. Spraying with tobacco infusion will also help.
Cabbage whites
If you see white butterflies fluttering over cabbage, then you need to take action right away. Sprinkle, for example, with tobacco dust to repel. It is not the butterflies that cause harm, but the caterpillars that emerge from oviposition on inside leaf. Eggs must be removed.
Slugs
Rain snails can significantly damage the presentation of the product and disrupt its nutrition. They must be removed from plants. To help summer residents, baits made from bran infused with alcohol are sold. Lay out on the beds in accordance with the instructions.
In addition to the simple techniques described, there are many chemicals for pest control, which you can buy in specialized stores for gardeners. 
Cooking Chinese Vegetable
Both the cultivation of pak choi cabbage and its preparation have several specific features:
- Young heads of cabbage are most often used. Their leaves are tender and tasty.
- Petioles and leaves are most often used in different ways. The leaves are consumed fresh, the petioles are boiled and stewed.
- The vegetable product is most useful in its raw form; it is an excellent addition to any dish.
- Please note that during heat treatment, lysine, the most valuable element of cabbage, is destroyed. Therefore, the plant is used in mixed salads, and also as a vegetable side dish for meat or fish.
- Traditionally, for salads, pak choy is thoroughly washed and separated into leaves. If necessary, coarsely chop.
- When fresh, the Chinese taste has a specific bitterness, like arugula.
- Chinese does not require long-term heat treatment during stewing. First, slices from the thicker petioles of the plant are laid out on the frying pan, then after 2-3 minutes of stewing, leaves are added to process for 30-40 seconds. After processing taste kale changes, becomes pleasantly sweet.
To begin with, use the simplest recipes for preparing dishes from new cabbage.
Cooking recipes
Chicken soup with pak choi
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- Chicken fillet (without skin) - 2 pcs.
- Pak choy - 6 bunches.
- Potatoes – 4-6 pcs.
- Small carrots – 4 pcs.
- Celery – 2 stalks.
- Onion – 1 head.
- Garlic – 2 cloves.
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp.
- Bouillon cubes – 2 pcs.
- Water – 1.5 l.
Before cooking, cut the chicken and vegetables into cubes, garlic – very finely.
Cook chicken in a saucepan for 10-15 minutes. Add vegetables - potatoes, carrots, celery, pak choi stalks. Heated in a frying pan vegetable oil add chopped onion and garlic. Fry over medium heat until the onion softens. Transfer the contents of the frying pan into a saucepan and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Add leaves at the end Chinese cabbage and bouillon cubes, salt to taste. 
Salad with pak choy
Ingredients for 8 servings:
- Young bok choy cabbage - 1 head.
- Green onions - 1 medium bunch.
- Chinese Ramen Noodles instant cooking– 1 package (94g).
- Peeled chopped almonds - 0.5 cups.
- Toasted sesame seeds – 2 tbsp.
- Olive oil – 5 tbsp.
- Lemon juice – 3 tsp.
Preparation procedure:
- First you need to chop the cabbage and onion and cover with a lid.
- Then whisk olive oil, lemon juice and noodle seasoning.
- Place the prepared vegetables and sauce in the refrigerator to cool.
- Break the noodles randomly, add almonds and sesame seeds.
- Mix all ingredients well. Salad ready.
Pak choy cabbage has great importance for dietary nutrition. Its regular use normalizes metabolism, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and promotes rapid healing of wounds.
Calories, kcal:
Proteins, g:
Carbohydrates, g:
The very name of this vegetable crop indicates that pak choi comes from China. That's what they call her - Chinese cabbage. Translated, "pak choy" means "horse ear".
The appearance of cabbage resembles a rosette, the leaves are tightly adjacent to each other, small - about 40 cm in diameter. There are two known types of this cabbage - with light green and dark green leaves.
Pak choy is currently very popular among our summer residents (calorizer). It is successfully grown in Russia. This is due to the vegetable’s high frost resistance and rapid ripening (only 50 days).
Calorie content of pak choi cabbage
The calorie content of pak choi cabbage is 13 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Composition of pak choi cabbage
Pak choi cabbage contains vitamins A, K, and, as well as minerals: , y, y, o and y. Pak choi also contains a huge amount of natural amino acids lysine and fiber, just like other cabbage varieties.
Health benefits of pak choi cabbage
There are a number of beneficial properties of pak choi cabbage. Due to the fact that this vegetable is a low-calorie product, it can be easily consumed during weight loss and to maintain ideal shape. Eating pak choi cabbage is an excellent prevention of constipation, as well as cleansing the intestines of toxins, cholesterol and other harmful products decay.
The leaves of this cabbage contain ascorbic acid, which is very useful and necessary for humans. Regular consumption of pak choy increases the strength and elasticity of blood vessels. In addition, vitamin C is directly involved in the synthesis of protein and collagen, which increases the elasticity and firmness of the skin. Pak choi normalizes blood clotting and has a positive effect on skin cell renewal. In addition, pak choy is necessary for vision, since the vitamins included in it form an enzyme that is needed for proper refraction of light in the eye.
Pak choi cabbage juice has a bactericidal effect, which allows it to be used for rapid healing of ulcers, wounds and burns. Many doctors note great benefit this vegetable to treat anemia.
It is recommended that pregnant women add pak choi to their diet because it contains folic acid. Studies have shown that consuming this vegetable prevents the occurrence of various defects in the fetus.
Pak choi cabbage in cooking
In cooking, pak choi cabbage is used widely and variedly. Cabbage leaves and stalks are added to salads, first and second courses, and are used to prepare independent side dishes and casseroles.
This vegetable is most loved in Asian cuisine. Pak choi cabbage is eaten like other varieties. Cabbage goes well with other products of both animal and plant origin.
Thanks to its mustard and slightly spicy aroma, pak choi makes a great addition to any dish (calorizator). It is believed that the most delicious and tender are the young leaves. In addition, cabbage can be fermented and dried so that it can be used at any time of the year.
How to select and store pak choi cabbage
When choosing pak choy, pay attention to the leaves, as they must be juicy green and fresh (not limp). Young good cabbage It has medium-sized leaves that are crispy when broken. The length of the leaves should be no more than 15 cm.
In order for pak choi to retain its beneficial features, it must be stored following all the rules. To begin, separate the leaves from the stalks and wash them under running water. After this, the leaves must be wrapped in a damp towel, then put in the refrigerator.
Another miracle that came to us from China is pak choy (bok choy) cabbage. This unpretentious, healthy, nutritious and low-calorie crop has excellent germination and simple care, due to which it is readily cultivated in many parts of the world. A stable harvest can be obtained without special investments of money, time and effort. How to grow this cabbage in your garden and what exactly is it?
Pak choi cabbage - description
Although it is a close relative of the familiar white cabbage, Chinese pak choi does not form heads and is more like salad greens. It belongs to early ripening crops - already 30 days after planting it is fully ripened. In the warm Asian climate, they manage to grow it several times per season. IN middle lane If desired, you can get up to two harvests. In heated greenhouses, pak choi cabbage can grow year-round.
The main appeal of pak choy is its enormous health benefits. Cabbage leaves contain a high concentration of amino acids, vitamins, especially vitamin C, and other beneficial mineral compounds that have a beneficial effect on health, well-being and help prolong the youth of the body. It can be used in food as an additive to various salads and as a side dish for fish and meat.
Pak choy - varieties
Chinese pak choi cabbage is gaining increasing popularity in our area, and if you also want to try growing it on your own plot, it is extremely important to know which varieties are suitable for cultivating it in our climate. There are several of the most successful varieties of this plant. Early varieties:
- "Alyonushka";
- "Vesnyanka";
- "Golub";
- "Coral".
Mid-season varieties of pak choi cabbage:
- "Martin";
- "Peahen";
- "Swan";
- "Yula";
- “In memory of Popova”;
- "Chill";
- "Beijing Surprise"
- "Four Seasons"
Planting pak choi
Pak choi cabbage has its own cultivation characteristics that differ from those used when growing ordinary cabbage. The most pleasant difference is the ability to grow it on poorly fertilized soil. In general, pak choy is unpretentious to the composition of the soil in which it is grown. Another feature is that Chinese pak choi cabbage does not tolerate transplantation well, so it is better to sow it directly into the ground. In just a month you will be able to harvest your first finished harvest.
How to plant pak choi cabbage?
The most common method is seed. How to grow pak choi from seeds? You need to wait for stable heat and warming up of the soil, after which you first make furrows in the bed up to 3 cm deep with a distance between rows of about 30 cm. After sowing, the bed needs to be covered with film until the first shoots appear. If you grew seedlings from seeds, the time to transplant them is permanent place growth occurs with the appearance of the fifth leaf on it.
When to plant pak choy cabbage?
Depending on whether you plant seeds directly into the ground or first grow seedlings at home in a greenhouse, the timing of planting seeds varies significantly. Seeds can be sown in open ground in early June. If you still want to grow cabbage seedling method, seeds need to be sown at the end of March. Planting pak choi in this case is accompanied by extremely careful transfer of seedlings to a permanent place of growth along with an earthen ball due to the poor survival rate of seedlings.
Growing Pak Choi
Growing Chinese pak choi cabbage is not difficult and, to some extent, fun. Short time ripening and simple care, which consists of following the regimes of irrigation, loosening and weeding, makes the plant a welcome guest in our beds. The only negative feature that cabbage from China pak choi has is its predisposition to bolting and flowering as daylight increases. Therefore, it is preferable to grow it in early summer. If bolting has already occurred, the arrows with flowers need to be cut off with pruning shears.
Chinese cabbage pak choi – soil
For growing Chinese cabbage pak choi on a plot complex preparation no soil required. Most The best way: dig up the soil in the fall, combining this process with the addition of fertilizers - organic and phosphate. The amount of fertilizer should not exceed 10 liters per square meter of land. Light liming of the soil will not be amiss. To speed up the process of warming up the beds in the spring, you can cover them with dark film in early March. The thawed soil must be dug up again and brought into it.
Pak choi cabbage - watering
Watering this crop should be abundant and regular. There is no need to overfill it with water, but it is also undesirable to allow the soil to dry out. Active watering at the stage of tying rosettes is extremely important. How to grow pak choi in conditions open ground: It only needs to be watered during periods of prolonged lack of rainfall. The watering rate is 15-20 liters per square meter. It is better to use warm water for watering.
Beijing cabbage pak choi - feeding
The best feeding of this crop is the use of mineral fertilizers in the required proportions, the violation of which leads to a deterioration in taste. Replace mineral fertilizers You can use ash in the amount of 1 cup per square meter. When growing pak choi cabbage from seeds, the following proportions of fertilizing are used:
- potash fertilizers – 20 g per square meter;
- ammonium nitrate - 15 g for each square of land;
- double superphosphate - 20 g per square meter.
Pak choi cabbage - diseases and pests
When wondering how to grow pak choi cabbage in the country, you need to be prepared to resist diseases and pests that claim their share of the harvest. The most common pests of pak choi are:
- They are capable of completely destroying cabbage. Prevention of their appearance consists in frequent loosening and abundant watering of the plant - insects cannot tolerate high humidity. Good result gives a sprinkling of cabbage leaves wood ash and tobacco infusion. You can use the product “Kinmiks” for cruciferous flea fleas, which must be diluted with water in accordance with the attached instructions. Spray the beds with it better in the morning or in the evening.
- Garden and rain snails. They can be collected by hand or caught using baits based on alcohol infusion and bran. The drug "Rodax" shows good results.
- Cabbage whites. At the stage of formation of cabbage leaves, they need to be regularly inspected for the presence of cabbage whites and its eggs. They are located on back side leaves. If they are detected, all eggs must be urgently removed and destroyed.
Pak choi cabbage is not susceptible to most diseases characteristic of plants in the cabbage family. In addition, there are varieties that are especially resistant to diseases and pests. For example, the Gipro F1 variety is unpretentious, resistant to diseases, pests and frost. In general, if the conditions for growing this crop are observed, most problems associated with diseases and pests can be avoided.
Asians are big fans of greenery. The more leaves and flowers on the table, the better. But who said it’s not tasty?! Properly prepared leaves can give anyone a head start meat dish. Today I'll tell you about amazing plant, which is called pak choy. It is also called Chinese mustard cabbage.
Pak choy can be eaten raw, stir-fried with other vegetables, and even pickled. If you have ever eaten the Korean dish kimchi, which no true Korean meal is complete without, then you are already familiar with pak choi. It is this cabbage that is the main ingredient of the pickled Korean delicacy.
How to choose pak choi cabbage at the market?
Pak choi cabbage is usually sold in the market and in stores in small heads of weight and size. Thin stalks of cabbage are attached to each other at the base, while green leaves begin to grow closer to the middle of the stem.
When choosing pak choy, you should follow the same criteria as when choosing any other cabbage or greens. The leaves should be clean, green, evenly colored, without damage. If the leaves have holes, it means that the cabbage has been eaten by insects and there is a risk that the farmer has sprayed the plant with chemicals in an attempt to get rid of them. Do not take too large and massive heads of cabbage. Much tastier is young cabbage, the leaves of which do not exceed 15-20 cm in length.
Do not store pak choi cabbage for a long time. It’s better to immediately after coming from the market or store, separate the stems from the head of cabbage, put everything in a bowl and pour cold water. This way the cabbage will be well cleaned of any remaining soil and dust. If you are not going to cook the cabbage right away, dry the leaves, wrap them in a towel and put them in the refrigerator.
What to cook with pak choi cabbage?
Korean pickled cabbage kimchi
1. Wash a large pak choi cabbage, separate the leaves, add salt, stir and leave for an hour and a half. Then wash the cabbage again.
2. In a blender, grind two heads of garlic, the pulp of half a pineapple, green chilies (to taste), a medium-sized onion and 5 cm of ginger root. Add fish sauce. Try what happened. If you need to add more salt, add fish or soy sauce. Koreans add another 5-6 tablespoons of ground red chili to this mixture. But if you don't like it spicy, you don't have to put it in.
3. Mix cabbage with sauce. Place in a bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate for two days. When the smell of pickled vegetables appears, the dish is ready. Store the prepared kimchi in the refrigerator.
Pak choi cabbage in oyster sauce
1. Separate the pak choy leaves and wash them well.
2. Cut the onion into quarters and carrots into rings.
3. Add oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Fry the onions and carrots for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add pak choi cabbage to the vegetables, do not leave the stove, because you need to stir all the time.
5. Mix the sauce in a bowl: 5 tablespoons of thick oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons of salted fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 30-50 grams of water. The sauce should have a uniform consistency.
6. Add the sauce to the frying pan, stir all the vegetables and wait a couple of minutes until all the water has boiled away and the sauce thickens.
What are the benefits of pak choi cabbage?
This low calorie product, only 13 kilocalories per 100 grams. Pak choy dishes can be an excellent dinner for those who want to lose weight.
Pak choi cabbage is high in fiber, so rest assured that a salad made from this vegetable is very beneficial for good bowel function.
Cabbage is rich in vitamins A, C and folic acid, it contains calcium, iron, sodium and magnesium. Cabbage juice has a bactericidal effect, so pak choy is applied to wounds and burns.
