Vegetables
Napa Cabbage
A long oval cabbage head with crinkled pale-green leaves and broad thick white ribs.
- 繁體中文
- 紹菜
- English
- Napa Cabbage
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Napa Cabbage (紹菜)
- Tagalog
- Napa Cabbage (紹菜)
What is it?
紹菜 is the common Hong Kong market term for the vegetable widely called Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage in English.
How to identify it
Look for a tight elongated head, crinkled pale-green leaves and broad white ribs. It is not loose, narrow-leaved Indian lettuce.
- Tight elongated cabbage head
- Crinkled pale-green leaves
- Broad thick white ribs
Common confusion
Napa cabbage has a compact long head and broad white ribs; Indian lettuce does not form a head.
Common Hong Kong household uses
Commonly used in hot pot, soup, braises and stir-fries.
Preparation or handling
Separate outer leaves, wash each leaf under running water, trim damaged parts and cut as required.
Storage
Keep unwashed and dry in the refrigerator crisper; wrap cut sections and use soon.
Helper tip
Napa cabbage forms a long compact head; Indian lettuce has narrower leaves growing loosely from the stem.
What Ma’am or Sir may say
買一棵紹菜打邊爐，要包得實。The employer wants one firm, tightly packed Napa cabbage for hot pot.
Useful market phrase
唔該要一棵實淨紹菜。