Although you’ve seen them at the supermarket, you may have been wary of trying them. There are several varieties of Chinese cabbage, the two most popular being nappa cabbage or petsai and bok choy (pakchoi). Nappa resembles a head of pale romaine lettuce while bok choy looks like Swiss chard. Does that help?

Easy to prepare, cheap and tasty, these vegetables deserve a place in our kitchens. Their crispness makes them a natural for salads. Simply shred or cut into strips and toss with a sesame oil dressing for example.

Mild-flavoured, they are excellent stir-fried with other vegetables and shrimp or strips of meat and seasoned with garlic, ginger and soya sauce, the “musts” of Oriental cuisine. Chinese cabbage also makes a good side dish. Try our recipe for curried Chinese cabbage; it’s great with poultry or fish. The golden rule to perfect crisp Chinese cabbage is to cook it quickly. Chinese cabbage is a natural in soups, quiches and pasta dishes as well as all Chinese dishes.

From a nutritional standpoint, Chinese cabbage is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and of potassium. Unlike other members of the cabbage family, Chinese cabbage doesn’t cause gas, a bonus for people with sensitive stomachs.