FOOD-VEG-001 · Vegetables
Choy Sum
A common Hong Kong leafy vegetable with slender green stems and, when mature, small yellow flower buds.
- 繁體中文
- 菜心
- English
- Choy Sum
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Caisim (菜心 / Choy Sum)
- Tagalog
- Choy Sum (菜心)
What is it?
Choy sum is a common leafy vegetable in Hong Kong homes. It is also called flowering Chinese cabbage. Market bunches may not yet have flowers, so check the stems and leaves too.
How to identify it
Look for slender green stems, narrower bright-green leaves and longer leaf stalks. Small yellow buds or flowers may appear near the top, but flowers are not always present.
- Stems are usually slimmer than Chinese kale
- Leaves are thinner, narrower and bright green
- Mature bunches may show small yellow buds
Common confusion
Chinese Kale (FOOD-VEG-002)
Choy sum usually has slim stems, thinner leaves and yellow flowers; Chinese kale usually has thick stems, firm dark leaves and often white flowers.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Commonly stir-fried with garlic, blanched or added to soup.
Preparation or handling
Check each stalk, wash where leaves meet the stems and drain well. Cook thicker stems before the leaves when needed.
Storage
Keep dry in the refrigerator vegetable drawer and use soon. Discard slimy, badly yellowed or rotten parts.
Helper tip
Chinese kale usually has thicker stems and firmer, waxier leaves. If unsure, send the employer a photo before buying.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買一斤菜心返嚟。The employer is asking you to buy about one catty of choy sum at the market.
Useful market phrase
唔該要一斤嫩菜心。Does the image look correct?
Last reviewed
· HIGH