The plant can have a dark, leafy-green texture, and while baby leaves from a younger plant have a taste related to mustard greens, older plants take on a unique spicy flavor. Pak Choy is easily crossbred, and because of this a variety of flavors, sizes and colors are available for those who wish to grow it and cook with it. Shallow roots aid the plant in rapid growth, and the white stems are preferred over other varieties because of their crisp, clean look. The plant is in the Brassicaceae family, along with mustard greens, turnips and kohlrabi. Pak choy is high in Beta carotene and Vitamin C, both of which are believed to help prevent cancer-causing free radicals. It also acts as an excellent source of folate, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Pak choy, along with its relatives, has a large impact in the economy. The name pak chou in Mandarin, literally means "white vegetable," and during the 1900s it was finally brought to the North American continent. Now, some of the largest crops from America are grown in California, while a higher percentage still come from China, Japan and South Korea. Our Interns have been experimenting with ways to incorporate pak choy into their dishes.
Stay tuned for recipes involving Howdy Farm's organic pak choy!
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October 2020
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The Howdy Farm at Texas A&M University |