Bok Choy — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Bok Choy is a vegetables available in Queensland 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 year-round in most of Australia. 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.