Bok Choy — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Bok Choy is a vegetables available in New Zealand during March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, peaking in May, June, July. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy bok choy, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Also called pak choi. Grows well in NZ's cooler months. One of the quickest-cooking vegetables: 2-3 minutes in a hot pan is all it needs.
How to pick a good one
Stems should be white, firm, and crisp. Leaves bright green without yellowing. Baby bok choy can be cooked whole; larger ones should be separated.
How to store it
Fridge in a loose bag for up to a week. Don't wash until using.
Goes well with
ginger: Bok choy and ginger is a standard Chinese stir-fry combination. Ginger's aromatic warmth penetrates bok choy's mild, leafy flavour in a way that other spices don't.
garlic: Garlic's savoury depth amplifies bok choy's mild flavour. Used together with soy and sesame oil, the combination is one of the most reliable quick vegetable dishes.
soy sauce: Soy's umami amplifies bok choy's mild savoury notes and adds a depth that the vegetable lacks alone. Used as a dressing or in the wok.
sesame: Sesame's rich, roasted flavour contrasts with bok choy's clean, watery mildness. Sesame oil added at the end of cooking makes bok choy taste finished.
oyster sauce: Oyster sauce's sweetness and umami is absorbed by bok choy's mild flesh. Blanched bok choy with oyster sauce is a simple Cantonese preparation that requires very little skill.
Recipes
Garlic & Soy Bok Choy
The perfect side. 5 minutes.
Ingredients: 4 bok choy, 2 cloves garlic (sliced), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp oil
Method: Halve bok choy lengthways. Heat oil in wok. Sear bok choy cut-side down 2 min. Add garlic, soy. Toss. Drizzle sesame oil.
Bok Choy & Mushroom Stir-Fry
Weeknight dinner. 10 minutes.
Ingredients: 4 bok choy, 200g mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic, thumb ginger, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp soy, oil, rice to serve
Method: Stir-fry sliced mushrooms in hot oil. Add sliced garlic and ginger. Add halved bok choy. Add sauces. Toss 2 min until wilted. Serve over rice.
Steamed Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce
Clean, simple, classic.
Ingredients: 4 bok choy, 2 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, fried shallots
Method: Steam bok choy 3 min until just tender. Drizzle oyster sauce and sesame oil. Scatter fried shallots.
Nutrition
One cup of cooked bok choy provides 60% of your daily vitamin A, 50% of your vitamin C, and 35% of your vitamin K. Excellent source of calcium for a vegetable (160mg per cup). Only 20 calories. One of the best vegetable sources of calcium for people who don't eat dairy.