A Dwarf Chinese Cabbage That's Convenient For Recipes

I really like the dwarf forms of Chinese cabbage.  These are cute little veggies that grow to a height of just 2 to 4 inches.

There are a number of dwarf varieties on the market.  This year, I tried one called Extra Dwarf Pak Choy sold by Baker Creek Seed Company.  It's a lovely little cabbage with wrinkled dark green leaves and a bone-china white stem.  It's mild tasting and finishes with a slight mustard-like flavor.

Why I Like Dwarf Varieties

The dwarf varieties offer a number of advantages:

1. They mature in a short period of time -- generally about 30 days.
2. Kids love them because they are mini-sized vegetables.
3. It's easy to cook with them because they don't require much chopping; just make one cut at the base of the stem, and the cabbage separates into individual leaves that are bite sized and ready for cooking. 
   

Chinese cabbage is part of the Brassica family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale.  There are two forms of Chinese cabbage:

• Brassica Rapa Chinensis - This is the style featured in this post.  It looks similar to celery in that the leaves grow on a stalk.  The English spelling of this form of cabbage varies widely, so you may need to try several spellings if you are looking for it in seed catalogs or online.  Common variant spellings for Boc Choi or Pac Choi, include versions of both the first and second part of the name such as: Bok, Boc, Pac, Pak, Choi, and Choy.  If you do the math, you'll see there are 8 possible combinations of the above and I'm sure someone really creative might be using Bach (like the composer) or Bock (like the beer from Germany).  You get the idea; it's confusing, so try several spelling variations before giving up on any particular seed company catalog or online merchant.
  
• Brassica Rapa Pekenensis - This looks more like a traditional cabbage and often is sold as "Napa Style" cabbage.  A very good cabbage as well,l but my preference is for the the Brassica Rapa Chinensis, particularly the dwarf varieties.
  

Nutritional Information:

Spell it any way you like, Chinese cabbage is tasty and is high in Vitamin C and Calcium.  For those interested, below is the full nutritional information provided by the US Department of Agriculture.  The serving size is 1 cup, uncooked: