'Pak Choi' Asian Green - Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis

'Pak Choi' Asian Green – proven rarity with a nutty-spicy flavor. 

This variety is a compact, fast-growing close relative of Chinese cabbage with loose rosettes and light leaf ribs. The flavor is nutty, mildly spicy with a slight bitter note. It is ideally suited for direct sowing, pre-cultivation, and pot culture. Robust, high-yielding, and open-pollinated - perfect for self-sufficiency and organic farming.

  Origin & History

‘Pak Choi’ – an open-pollinated mustard green originally from South China, cultivated since the 5th century AD. As a close relative of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis), it belongs to the oldest cultivated leafy vegetables of Asia. Already in early Chinese sources the plant is mentioned as “Bái Cài” (白菜, “white vegetable”) and was an important part of regional nutrition. Over centuries, the variety was further developed through selection and adaptation and cultivated in different regions of China.

Along the Silk Road, ‘Pak Choi’ spread to Central Asia and later to Korea and Japan, where it also became part of traditional cuisine. In Chinese medicinal plant literature, the variety was described in the 16th century as a strengthening vegetable and included in medical texts such as the Bencao Gangmu by Li Shizhen. In the 19th century, ‘Pak Choi’ reached North America and Europe through Chinese immigrants, where it was initially cultivated in Asian communities. From there it spread further and became increasingly appreciated in Western gardens and kitchens. Today, the variety is established worldwide and maintained by organic seed initiatives and conservation organizations as a valuable open-pollinated variety.

  Appearance & Characteristics

The plant grows compact and upright, reaching a height of about 30 cm. It forms loose heads with numerous leaves and bears vigorous, dark green foliage. Frost-tolerant down to -5 °C.

Leaf details:

• Size: Medium, loose heads

• Shape: Loose rosette with light ribs

• Color: Dark green leaves with light white ribs

• Texture: Crisp, juicy

• Flavor: Nutty, mild-spicy with slight bitter note

 Usage & Cultivation Highlights

The leaves are excellent for fresh use in salads, for cooking, frying, and steaming, especially for pan dishes. Their nutty-spicy flavor with a slight bitter note and the crisp leaf ribs make them an aromatic enrichment in Asian cuisine. Pak Choi can be prepared similarly to Swiss chard or spinach and is also suitable for soups, wok dishes, or briefly blanched as a classic side dish with sesame oil and soy sauce.

Thanks to its compact growth and rapid development, the variety grows reliably in open field, greenhouse, and especially in pots. It matures quickly, produces abundant leaves, and shows good adaptability to different sites, delivering stable yields even under changeable weather conditions. In mild climates the variety is sufficiently frost-hardy, while in cooler regions it only requires light winter protection. Moreover, it convinces with its short cultivation period of just a few weeks, allowing several sowings per season. The variety is easy to care for and ideally suited for mixed cropping, as it harmonizes well with many vegetables and places little demand on the soil. Its uniform development and high resistance to pests and diseases make it a particularly reliable crop. Even under dense planting it remains compact and continuously provides fresh leaves that can be harvested over a longer period.

Compared to other Asian salads, ‘Pak Choi’ is especially compact in growth and aromatic in flavor – ideal for people who appreciate open-pollinated Asian greens with nutty-spicy taste and traditional history.