Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis
Also known as bok choy plant, Brassica chinensis, Brassica rapa Pak Choi Group, bok choy, Bok choy, Shanghai Green, Pak choi
subspecies of plant
Species
Brassica rapa chinensis
SUBSPECIES
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderBrassicales
- FamilyBrassicaceae
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Key facts
- Species
- Brassica rapa
- Cultivar group
- Chinensis
- Origin
- China , 5th century AD
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Starr 080607-7271 Brassica campestris var. chinensis.jpg
Article
Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English, South African English, and Caribbean English) or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) cultivated as a leaf vegetable to be used as food. Varieties do not form heads and have green leaf blades with lighter bulbous bottoms instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens. Its flavor is described as being between spinach and water chestnuts but slightly sweeter, with a mildly peppery undertone. The green leaves have a stronger flavor than the white bulb.
Chinensis varieties are popular in southern China, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. Originally classified as Brassica chinensis by Carl Linnaeus, they are now considered a subspecies of Brassica rapa. They are a member of the family Brassicaceae.