By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen

Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.

Perhaps you’ve seen this leafy green veggie in the produce section or noticed it called for in stir-fry or vegetable side dish recipes. But what exactly is bok choy? For more info, we consulted Nadia Liu Spellman, an expert in Chinese cuisine and the author of Dumpling Daughter Heirloom Recipes: From Our Restaurants And Home Kitchens.

What Is Bok Choy?

Also called pak choi or pok choi, bok choy is a leafy green vegetable with a crunchy, bulbous stem.

It's a variety of Chinese cabbage and is used in a variety of cuisines. “Bok choy is a beautiful and unique vegetable because it can be a one-stem garnish or the main star of a sauteed baby bok choy dish. The whole vegetable can be used without waste from the root to the stem,” Liu Spellman says. “The most popular dish is bok choy sauteed with fresh garlic. It is commonly used as a stuffing with ground meat to make dumplings or buns.”

Types of Bok Choy

Common types of bok choy include traditional bok choy, which has tightly packed, dark crinkly leaves and crisp white stems; baby bok choy, a younger, smaller variety with lighter green leaves; and Shanghai bok choy, which is characterized by spoon-shaped leaves and jade green stems.

Bok Choy vs Cabbage

While bok choy is related to cabbage, “it's a much more delicate vegetable than its cabbage cousins or siblings,” Liu Spellman says. “The leafy greens are like spinach and the stem is crunchy with a pepper flavor. Bok choy has various flavors and textures in one whereas other cabbages are consistent in flavor and texture throughout.”

What Part of Bok Choy Do You Eat?

You can eat all parts of bok choy, including the leafy greens, stalks and root. The root ends should be trimmed before consuming.

How to Prepare Bok Choy

Bok choy is a versatile vegetable that can be prepared in all sorts of ways, including blanching, grilling, sauteeng, roasting or stir-frying. It has a mild flavor profile, so it readily takes on the flavors of seasonings and sauces. Bok choy works well in stir-fries, as a stand-alone side dish or as a garnish. For more info, check out our primer How to Cut Bok Choy.

How to Clean Bok Choy

Bok choy must be thoroughly washed before cooking. To ensure that all of the dirt is removed from the multi-layered stem, Liu Spellman advises cutting the stem vertically in half and soaking the bok choy in a big pot of running cold water. Use your hands to swish the vegetable around in the water and release sediment. Rinse and soak again until there's no more sediment in the water.

Sauteed Bok Choy

“This is the best way to showcase bok choy in its simple and most delicious form, lightly sauteed with fresh garlic and light oil,” Liu Spellman says. She suggests you trim the root ends and quarter baby bok choy by cutting it in half lengthwise and cutting it in half again. Soak and rinse bok choy in cold water to remove the sediment. Heat a large pan over high heat, then add vegetable oil. Toast thinly sliced garlic, if using, for no more than 30 seconds. Add the bok choy and cook until it wilts, about 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Add chicken broth and salt, cover the pan with a lid and let simmer until bok choy is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Blanched Bok Choy

Trim the heads and roots of baby bok choy and separate the leaves. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the bok choy, cooking until just-tender, about 1 minute. Drain immediately. From here, you can use the blanched bok choy to garnish soup or stir fries, or quickly sear or sautee them in a hot pan with oil and aromatics or seasonings, such as garlic or oyster sauce.

Stir-Fried Bok Choy

If you’re adding bok choy to a stir-fry, you’ll need to separate the white stalks from the leafy greens since the sturdy stems take longer to cook. Wash and pat dry the stalks and leaves. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin strips. Stack and slice the leafy greens cross-wise into thin strips. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the stems and other sturdy veggies to the pan first, cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add the bok choy greens during the final step, cooking until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Roasted Bok Choy

Liu Spellman says that Chinese cooks rarely roast bok choy, but it can be done. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve baby bok choy lengthwise and wash and pat dry. Arrange bok choy on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast until crisp-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. As Nadia points out, the leaves and the stems react to dry heat differently, so the leaves will get crispy. If you prefer a more even texture, roast the stalks and leaves separately, starting with the stalks and adding the leaves half-way through cooking.

Grilled Bok Choy

Preheat a grill to medium. Halve bok choy lengthwise, wash and pat dry. In a covered dish, microwave the bok choy, about 3 to minutes. Meanwhile, whisk a sauce to coat the bok choy, aiming for a mix of sweet, salty and spicy flavors, such as sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss the sauce with the bok choy. Grill until charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side, brushing with any extra sauce.

How to Use Bok Choy as a Garnish

“We commonly use bok choy as a garnish for soup and stir fry dishes,” Liu Spellman says. “Blanched bok choy makes a beautiful garnish if placed in a circle to enclose a stir fry dish on a round platter. Bok choy can also be used in hot broth where it naturally cooks in the broth.”

How to Store Bok Choy

Fresh bok choy can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. “Once the leaves turn yellow, it's a signal to use the bok choy soon,” Liu Spellman says. Cooked bok choy can be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Bok Choy Recipes

Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce

This easy vegetable side features blanched baby bok choy tossed in a hot pan with oyster sauce, fish sauce and a Chinese black vinegar, plus garlic and fresno chili. It all adds up to a garlicky, spicy dish with a serious dose of umami.

Grilled Bok Choy

Step up your grilling game any time of year with this simple side. Halve bok choy lengthwise, wash and pat dry. Microwave the bok choy, toss with a sweet chili sauce and rice vinegar mixture, then grill over medium heat until charred.

Baby Bok Choy with Bacon, Onion and Butter Beans

Here, baby bok choy gets treated like a hearty green. First, it’s wilted and softened with bacon drippings, then combined with creamy butter beans and a splash of vinegar. It’s excellent served hot or at room temperature, making it an ideal make-ahead side.

Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Sambal oleek and barbecue sauce create a smoky-sweet coating for succulent shrimp and crisp-tender bok choy. Keep this recipe in your back pocket for an easy weeknight supper that comes together quickly.

Jalapeno-Lime Quinoa and Bok Choy

This one-pot wonder makes an ideal veggie side dish or base for a grain bowl. Thinly sliced bok choy gets stirred in at the end to add a helping of healthy greens to the zesty jalapeNo infused quinoa.

Related Links:

18 Bok Choy Recipes You'll Keep Coming Back To

70 Chinese Recipes Everyone Should Know How to Make

50 Vegetable Sides That'll Have Everyone Grabbing Seconds