Top 10 Choy Sum (Chinese flowering cabbage) Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Selection and storage

Choy sum, native to South China, stands as one of the crucial sought-after leafy greens in native markets all through East Asia and Southeast Asia. Nowadays, it is also available in specialty grocers and Asian markets throughout Europe, Australia, and the United States.

Choy sum gives versatility in harvesting, starting from tender younger greens to flowering tops. When younger, its leaves possess a delicate taste akin to spinach, whereas because it matures, the style intensifies, resembling the pungency of mustard greens.

Choy sum is a cool-season crop. Fresh produce inundates markets, reaching its peak from fall by means of spring. Nevertheless, the provision of recent produce year-round can be assured, because of greenhouse farming practices.

When choosing choy sum on the market, go for recent, crisp, darkish inexperienced leaves with clean stalks and vibrant flowering tops, steering away from any indicators of wilting or discoloration.

Once at dwelling, promptly refrigerate the leaves to take care of freshness. For optimum taste and dietary advantages, it’s advisable to make use of recent choy sum greens as quickly as attainable.

Choy sum could be saved for as much as 3-4 days in chilly storage situations, ideally at temperatures between 5-8°C and with humidity ranges exceeding 90%.

Preparation and serving strategies

Choy sum is a standard inexperienced leafy staple in Cantonese delicacies. Its recent leaves, flower buds, and stems are utilized in a wide range of cuisines throughout East Asia and within the West, the place a big Chinese diaspora exists.

Choy sum could be substituted for gai lan, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, and so on., in comparable cooked dishes.

Before cooking, totally wash the leaves in clear operating water to take away any sand or insecticide residues. Trim away thick petioles and stems.

Here are some serving concepts:

Choy sum stir fry in garlic sauce. Courtesy: Jonathan

• Grown-up choy sum stems and leaves could also be preserved as a pickled vegetable. They are additionally implausible when added to soups and stews or braised with aromatics akin to rice wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and spring onions.

• Fresh tender choy sum greens are eaten uncooked in salads.

• It enhances properly in soups and stir-fries with mushrooms, hen, shrimp, and tofu.

• Steam or blanch choy sum frivolously to protect each taste and texture, then combine in garlic sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds as a garnish.

• Stir-fry complete or chopped choy sum in garlic oil and mix with oyster sauce.

Safety profile

• Reheating leftovers of choy sum, together with different leafy greens like mustard greens and spinach, can result in the conversion of nitrates into nitrites and nitrosamines by sure micro organism thriving on nitrate-rich meals. These poisonous compounds pose potential hurt to well being.

• Phytates and dietary fiber current in choy sum could intrude with the bioavailability of iron, calcium, and magnesium.

• Choy sum, being a Brassica household vegetable, incorporates oxalic acid, a naturally occurring substance present in some greens that will crystallize as oxalate stones within the urinary tract in some individuals. People with recognized oxalate urinary tract stones are suggested to keep away from consuming greens belonging to the Brassica household. Adequate consumption of water is, subsequently, needed to take care of regular urine output.

• Choy sum might also comprise goitrogens, which can intrude with thyroid hormone manufacturing and may trigger thyroxine hormone deficiency in people with thyroid dysfunction.

(Medical Disclaimer: The data and reference guides on this web site are supposed solely for the overall data of the reader. It is just not for use to diagnose well being issues or for therapy functions. It is just not an alternative choice to medical care supplied by a licensed and certified well being skilled. Please seek the advice of your well being care supplier for any recommendation on medicines.)

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Further studying:

1. Refer Stanford School of Medicine Cancer data Page- Nutrition to Reduce Cancer Risk (Link opens in new window).

2. Food Standards Australia & New Zealand.

3. Production Guide for Choy Sum—An Emerging Asian Vegetable in Florida –University of Florida-IFAS Extension (Link opens in new window).

4. Specialty Produce (Link opens in new window).