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Many of you must have been drawn towards the post because you want to find out about Bok Choy and how it is cut. Well, Bok Choy is a popular Chinese vegetable used in salads, stir fries, and soups. It is called “Chinese Cabbage”.
The plant was originated in China and it was exported to different countries. Well, it didn’t take long enough for the foreign markets to claim the harvest of the plant in different regions of Europe and America.
Today, you can find Bok Choy vividly available in different parts of the world and not just China.
It has rich content of beta-carotene. The supplement is great for lowering the risk of cancer, macular degeneration, and cataract. Bok Choy has suitable amount of beta-carotene to prevent all the said disorders and diseases in human body.
How To Select Bok Choy?
Choosing fresh and right Bok Choy is important to enjoy its benefits and taste. While selecting Bok Choy, make sure that the leaves are in bright green color. They shouldn’t be in yellow or brown color.
Another thing to consider is that there is no black spot on the surface. You should not purchase such a plant as it is flaccid. Pick a plant that has clean and clear leaves.
The crisp white stalks should also not have any holes in it or any kind of discoloration. If the Bok Choy appears to be rubbery or dried out then you should avoid purchasing it. It will not give the crunch that you enjoy in the vegetable.
Please note that Bok Choy is also known as Pak Choy, and it is available in various colors, sizes and flavors. The ones with large leaves are great to add in salads or soups. However, you can use smaller Bok Choy to make stir-fries. You should be careful while purchasing the vegetable.
Before we share tips on cutting Bok Choy, it is important to know how to store it. In busy lives, we don’t have time to bring it home and begin to slice it soon after. So, here are some great tips on pre-cutting storage.
Storing Bok Choy
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You should not wash it before storing because this way, Bok Choy will store the water and become wilted before you could use it for eating. Always wash the plant soon before cutting it.
It is important to prevent any exposure of air to Bok Choy. Thus, you should keep it inside a plastic bag that is sealed in a vacuum.
Carefully place Bok Choy inside the plastic bag. If you are using a medium-sized bag then don’t add more than 3 Bok Choy inside it.
It is important that you push all the air out of the bag before sealing it. The sealed pack should be kept in the lower part of the fridge, mostly inside the crispy drawer.
You should not store Bok Choy for more than 4 days after purchase.
Note: When you have to use it, take it out, wash, and consume soon after to avoid wilting. Do not crush the leaves. Carefully dry them by patting with a paper towel. Please note that Bok Choy leaves are sensitive and very easily crushed. Make sure to handle them with care.
How To Cut Bok Choy
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Method 1 – Trimming the Thick Base
You can use a sharp knife to cut Bok Choy from bottom. You should chop off ½ – 1-inches from the bottom. It is the area where the leaves connect.
You should discard any outside discoloured leaves or the leaves that are tough and rigid. The cutting should be done in such a way that you are left with long stalks of individual Bok Choy.
After the chopping is done, you can use the sliced Bok Choy in a soup or serve it in salad. The crisp of Bok Choy is enjoyed by everyone.
Method 2 – Slicing Bok Choy
In this method, after you have washed the vegetable, you can start by bunching the stalks of Bok Choy and slice off the white stems. It is best to put the stalks on a flat cutting board to prevent any knife marks on the kitchen countertop.
- You should separate the stem from leaves because the cutting mechanism of both the parts is different. Also, these portions are separately cooked on different rates. The stems are cooked slower than the leaves.
- It is essential that you grip Bok Choy in claw-like position. You can use your fingertips for that and curl inwards. Using a knife, cut the Bok Choy. This position of holding will protect your fingers from cutting and accidents.
- When you have to chop the stems, make sure not to bring the knife straight down and apply the cut. You should rather hold the knife on a 45-degrees angle so to slanted cut across the stem.
- When you slice Bok Choy like this, the surface area of each piece increases. This way, you can quickly cook Bok Choy.
- You should make 1-inch cut on the stem starting from the base and make its way up to the top. Move towards your hand that is holding Bok Choy. The action should be away from the knife and slice further along the stalk. Repeat the entire process for all the leaves.
Method 3 – Cutting in Rectangles
In order to cut Bok Choy in rectangular form, you first need to make long cuts down the middle of every stalk of Bok Choy you have. You can separate it in 2 halves and by setting both the halves next to each other on a cutting board, you can start with further chopping.
You need to separate leaves from stems. Try to get as many portions of the leaves as you can. Then you can make 1-inch horizontal cut to chop the Bok Choy in smaller rectangular pieces. Make sure that the pieces are thick enough to serve the flavor in wherever you decide to use it.
Note: In case you need thinner rectangles, make sure to cut the stalks in 3 halves. You can use rectangle cut Bok Choy for sautéing to serve with meat and other vegetables.
Conclusion
Bok Choy has become more popular than ever. You can use it in salads or to sauté meat and other vegetables. It is important that you cut it exactly in the way how you are meaning to use it.
As mentioned in this post, different kind of chopping of Bok Choy is used in different dishes. Make sure you follow the right cutting techniques.
Source
- How to Cut Bok Choy – WikiHow