Seasons/Availability
Gai choy is available year round.

Description/Taste
Gai choy looks like a large loose-headed green cabbage. The leafy greens may be trimmed leaving only the rounded stalks. Sharpness and pungency can vary, but this vegetable always offers a dependable crunchy texture and a mustardy bite. Gai choy is sometimes called headed mustard cabbage, large-leafed mustard greens or Swatow heart mustard cabbage.

Nutritional Value
Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.

Applications
Also known as Chinese mustard greens, gai choi is perfect for long cooking soups such as hot & sour or duck soup. Roughly chop, then gently sauté until soft – gai choy’s flavor sweetens with slow cooking. Add its pungent flavor to steamed rice or noodles. Perfect for pickling. To store, wrap loosely in paper; refrigerate. Do note wash until ready to use.

Geography/History
Chinese cuisine especially favors this vegetable and pickled wrapped gai choy is especially a favorite. Preferring a warm climate, this vegetable does not tolerate cold very well.