Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa pekinensis) and bok choy (Brassica rapa chinensis) are both subspecies of the Brassica rapa plant. Other subspecies and cultivars include turnip, rapini, and field mustard. Brassica rapa is a flowering plant that originated approximately 4,000 to 6,000 years ago in Asia, although its different varieties are now widely grown around the world. Napa cabbage gets its name from the Japanese word for “leaves,” while bok choy’s name means “white vegetable” in the Cantonese language. So join us as we discover everything you need to know about napa cabbage vs. bok choy – including what they taste like, how to cook them, and how to grow them!
Comparing Bok Choy vs. Nappa Cabbage
The Key Differences Between Napa Cabbage and Bok Choy
The main differences between napa cabbage and bok choy are their size, color, and taste. Bok choy is slightly larger than napa cabbage and has darker leaves. It also has a much stronger taste and takes longer to cook. The other differences between these two vegetables include how long they take to cook, their nutritional values, and how long they take to mature from seeds.
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Appearance
The first difference between napa cabbage and bok choy is their appearance. Bok choy is slightly larger than napa cabbage at 12 to 24 inches long. It has thick white stalks and dark green leaves, which are distinctly spoon-shaped. Napa cabbage is 12 to 18 inches long and is typically oblong-shaped. It had crinkly leaves which are tightly packed together. Napa cabbage is also much lighter colored than bok choy and is a pale green, which makes it easy to tell the two apart.
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Taste
Another distinctive difference between these two cabbages is how they taste. With its thick, crunchy stems, bok choy is a veggie packed full of flavor. Although it tastes somewhat similar to regular cabbage, it has a strong taste that can sometimes be slightly bitter. However, the strength of the flavor becomes milder when it’s cooked, which makes it more palatable if a strong flavor isn’t your thing. Napa cabbage is best described as having a slightly peppery taste. However, don’t be alarmed into thinking that this means it’s got a strong flavor because napa cabbage is actually much milder and sweeter than bok choy.
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Cooking
Bok choy and napa cabbage also require cooking slightly differently. As bok choy has thicker, crunchier leaves and stalks, it takes longer to cook than napa cabbage. For the best results, you should remove the stalks from the leaves and cook them separately first, as they take longer to cook than the leaves themselves do. The stems can be cut into small slices to shorten the cooking time. Napa cabbage requires a much shorter cooking time, and you can cook all parts of it together at the same time via your chosen method. The easiest way to cook napa cabbage is to chop both the leaves and the stems and then cook them together.
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Uses
As bok choy has much thicker leaves and a stronger flavor, it is not used raw as often as napa cabbage. Bok choy is a popular choice for cooking Korean and Chinese food and is widely used in soups, spring rolls, and dumplings. As napa cabbage has a milder and sweeter flavor, it is able to be used raw more than bok choy. Therefore, it is a good choice for salads or coleslaws. It is also a popular choice to add to stir-fries. In fact, there is pretty much no limit to how you can choose to use napa cabbage when cooking.
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Nutrition
Although both napa cabbage and bok choy are incredibly nutritious and contain calcium, magnesium, iron, and potassium, there are a few small differences between their nutritional values. The actual amounts are too small to quantify properly, but bok choy contains more vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber than napa cabbage. However, there are still plenty of benefits from eating these two veggies, so why not try eating both?
Napa Cabbage vs. Bok Choy: Maturity
Both napa cabbage and bok choy are known for being easy to grow, and they make the perfect spring vegetable because of their ability to grow quickly. However, they don’t grow quite the same, and this is because bok choy matures quicker than napa cabbage. Bok choy takes only 45 to 60 days to mature from seed, whereas napa cabbage takes 70 to 90 days to reach maturity.
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No, both are actually biannuals which are typically grown as annuals every year for food consumption. How do you grow napa cabbage and bok choy? As we’ve already mentioned, napa cabbage and bok choy are both really easy to grow. Ideally, you should start them from seeds after the final frost, or alternatively you can start them indoors while frost is still a risk. For the best results, plant them around 1/2” apart and 1/4” deep. They should be planted in well-draining soil and have access to plenty of sunlight.
