Both bok choy and napa cabbage are the different cabbage types, which have many similarities in it, but the method of cooking is different from each other.
Key Takeaways
- Bok choy is a type of Chinese cabbage that has thick white stalks and dark green leaves, while Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage that has a cylindrical shape and light green leaves.
- Bok choy has a milder flavor and is commonly used in stir-fries and soups, while Napa cabbage has a sweeter flavor and is often used in salads and kimchi.
- Bok choy is a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium, while Napa cabbage is a good source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
Bok Choy vs Napa Cabbage
The difference between bok choy and napa cabbage is that the bok Choy has a darker shade of green, whereas napa cabbage has a lighter shade of green.
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Bok choy is the main group of Chinese cabbage. This vegetable can also be used as an alternative for the napa cabbage. However, the technique of cooking bok choy is a little bit different.
The bok choy has a bitter green direction, but it is cooking up mild and tender.
Napa cabbage is also known as Chinese cabbage. Napa cabbage is originated from the capital of China, Beijing. It is very popular all over East Asia, and it is widely available across the globe.
The napa is originated from regional Japanese, which represent the leaves of the vegetable.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Bok choy | Napa cabbage |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Bok choy has a darker shade of green in it. | Napa cabbage has a darker shade of green in it. |
| Popularity | Bok choy is very popular in Europe and the Philippines. | Napa cabbage is popular in China. |
| Time-consuming | Bok choy takes more to cook. | Napa cabbage takes less time to cook. |
| Taste | Bok choy generally tastes like simple cabbage sometimes. | Napa cabbage has the taste of peppery kick and mild flavor. |
| Used in dishes | Bok choy can be used in making kimchi ( a traditional Korean food) | Napa cabbage is very suitable for using stir-fried and salads. |
What is Bok Choy?
Bok choy is a cabbage whose real name was brassica Chinensis that falls under the types of cabbage. Bok choy rarely represents the other cabbage dishes in the world.
The people of China refer to this vegetable as white cabbage or white vegetables.
As it has white stalks, which represent celery, and has dark green crinkly leaves just like romaine lettuce, but this cabbage does not have stinginess.
This vegetable was introduced in Europe in the nineteenth century. It is very popular and now widely available in any departmental store and supermarkets all over North America.
This vegetable is very popular and widely available in the Philippines also.
Bok choy, which is also named Chinensis, is also another main type of Chinese cabbage. Bok choy can also be used as the alternative for napa cabbage, but the style of cooking this vegetable will be a little different.
The stalk of the bok choy is removed and cooked first because the stalks are very fibrous.
Because of this reason, bok choy is also good in a stir fry. As the stalks are fried, then the leaves can be added because they take very little time to cook.
What is Napa Cabbage?
Napa cabbage is considered to be one of the common vegetables. It is made more like Chinese cabbage. Napa cabbage can also be called Pekinesis, which is also the two main groups of Chinese cabbage.
Napa cabbage is widely cultivated in China, and it is often used in salads, noodles, and stir fry recipes. The cabbage looks oval, and its tend are white or very light green and have firmly packed leaves.
The leaves of the napa cabbage are disarranged and have thick veins in them. It has a mild flavor with a crisp texture, which gets sweeter when it is cooked.
Napa cabbage is also referred to as Chinese vegetables or cabbage and has a very little difference.
The appearance of napa cabbage is that vegetables have a very light shade of green; on the other hand, this vegetable’s counterpart has a darker shade of green.
This vegetable represents the swiss chard and also romaine lettuce. Both napa cabbage and bok choy have a very different texture.
Main Differences Between Bok Choy and Napa Cabbage
- Both bok choy and napa cabbage are different types of cabbages that can be used as an alternative for one another.
- Bok choy is named after brassica Chinensis. On the other hand, napa word is from the regional Japanese, which means the leaves of the vegetable, the type of leaf which can be eaten.
- Bok choy is introduced in the nineteenth century in Europe and is very popular in the Philippines and North America. On the other hand, napa cabbage is mainly near the area of China.
- Bok choy cabbage has a darker shade of green. On the other hand, napa cabbage has a lighter shade of green.
- Bok choy represents like swiss chard. On the other hand, napa cabbage represents romaine and swiss chard.
- Bok choy has a very strong flavor, which sometimes tastes like the flavor of simple cabbage. On the other hand, napa cabbage has a flavor of peppery kick and mild flavor, making this cabbage suitable for use in stir-fries or salads.
- Bok choy is more time consuming than napa cabbage. On the other hand, napa cabbage takes less time than bok choy.
- Bok choy is cooked by separating it from stalks, drained and rinsed, and stalks are cut into small slices, salt, stir-fried, and added water. On the other hand, napa cabbage core is cut, finished and washed, and cooked first after that while cooking raw leaves to be grated.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389408010340
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10942912.2015.1118385
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
