Pak Choi is a vegetable that is mainly used in Asian cuisine. For a number of years, the seeds, which are easy to cultivate, have been available as part of Asian salad mixes or as individual seeds. The vegetable is also sometimes referred to as Chinese mustard cabbage or kale. As a new vegetable, many are wondering if pak choi is edible raw or maybe even poisonous.
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Lots of healthy ingredients
The leaves and stems of the Chinese mustard cabbage are eaten. Like many other cruciferous vegetables, it also contains the aromatic mustard oils that give cabbage its typical taste. However, the taste of this Asian vegetable is milder than that of other types of cabbage.
In addition to mustard oils, the following plant ingredients are included:
- Vitamine (A, B, C, K)
- Potassium
- calcium
- Magnesium
- sodium
- folic acid
- unsaturated fatty acids
- flavonoids
- Carotin
The Asian mustard cabbage is an interesting vegetable due to its composition of ingredients. Above all, the high content of unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins as well as potassium makes it a valuable vegetable that can enrich the diet.
Note: The content of ingredients may vary. Climate or cultivation conditions are responsible for this, for example.
No questionable ingredients
The advantage of Chinese cabbage is that it contains no questionable ingredients. It is even recommended to eat Pak Choi mainly raw, as the content of plant substances is highest in this state. It is also recommended for certain groups, such as pregnant women, as it contains a lot of folic acid.
Eat bok choy
With new vegetables suddenly conquering the gardens and plates, the question arises as to what is the best way to eat them. If the mustard cabbage is eaten raw, it should be as young as possible. It is ideal if you enjoy it as a so-called baby leaf salad. The mustard cabbage is considered a baby leaf if it does not exceed a size of around 15 cm. In this state, the Asian collards are at their most tender and ideal as a raw vegetable.
If the mustard cabbage is older, it can also be eaten raw. However, you should not use the leaves themselves, as they can be tough and somewhat leathery when uncooked. You have to prepare the older stems more elaborately. To do this, separate the leaves and pull fine threads from the stems. These threads make the Asian collards fibrous and uncomfortable to eat.
Smoothies with mustard cabbage
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of processing older mustard greens before consuming them, you can use them in smoothies. It is sufficient if you simply wash the leaves and stems and put them in the blender. Smoothies are a good way to use Asian vegetables sensibly, because many people find mustard oils to be pleasant plant compounds compared to other vegetables. They can also mask bitter substances to a limited extent and are therefore a very good addition to bitter salads such as chicory.
Beware of hypothyroidism
For healthy people, the mustard cabbage can be eaten in large quantities without hesitation. Only people who have problems with the thyroid should be careful not only with the Asian cabbage, but with all vegetables of the cruciferous family.
People who have an underactive thyroid, which means that the thyroid does not produce enough hormones, should avoid foods that contain the enzyme myrosinase. The enzyme slows down the function of the thyroid gland in the body and can also promote hypofunction. This in turn means that the body also stores too little iodine.
Therefore, people with hypothyroidism are recommended to eat mainly in cooked form.
