''Tatsoi'' (''Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa'' or ''Brassica rapa var. rosularis'') is an Asian variety of ''

Brassica rapa ''Brassica rapa'' is a plant species growing in various widely cultivated forms including the turnip (a root vegetable); napa cabbage, bomdong, bok choy, and rapini. ''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''oleifera'' is an oilseed which has many common n ...

'' grown for greens. Also called tat choy, it is closely related to the more familiar

Bok Choy Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English) or pok choi (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''chinensis'') is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. ''Chinensis'' varieties do not form heads and have ...

. This plant has become popular in North American cuisine as well, and is now grown throughout the world.

Naming

The name comes from Cantonese 塌菜 ''taap3 coi3'' or "drooping vegetable", often rendered 'tat soi', 'tat choy'. However, its natural habitat is alongside the

Yangtze River The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...

, where it is called 塌棵菜 (Shanghai and around

Lake Tai Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. Wi ...

, Wu taku tse), 烏塌菜 (Lake Tai and

Nanking Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...

, Wu wu-thaq tshe, literally "dark drooping veggie"). Mandarin borrowed the name 塌棵菜 (

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally writte ...

''tā kē cài''). It is also called 'Chinese flat cabbage', 'rosette pakchoi' or 'broadbeaked mustard', 'spoon mustard', or 'spinach mustard'.

Description

The plant has dark green spoon-shaped leaves which form a thick rosette. It has a soft creamy texture and has a subtle yet distinctive flavour.

Planting

It can be grown to harvestable size in 45–50 days, and can withstand temperatures down to –10 °C (15 °F). Tatsoi can even be harvested from under snow. *Days to Maturity: 45 *When to Sow ** Outside: As early as the soil can be worked. Sow again in late summer or fall. ** Inside: Sow directly outdoors. *Seed Depth: 1/4" to 1/2" *Seed Spacing: 6" *Row Spacing: 18" *Days to Emerge: 5 - 15 *Thinning: When 4" tall, thin to 6" apart.

Nutritional value

Tatsoi contains high levels of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

carotenoids Carotenoids (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, co ...

folic acid Folate, also known as vitamin B9 and folacin, is one of the B vitamins. Manufactured folic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as a dietary supplement and in food fortification as it is more stable during processing and ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

and

potassium Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...

Cooking

Tatsoi is used for pesto, salads, stir frys and garnishing soup. According to Food52, "Tatsoi is a very versatile green, equally suited to being served raw or lightly cooked. To make it easy, just use tatsoi anywhere you’d use spinach. Lightly steam or sauté it, wilt the leaves with a warm dressing, or add them to a soup at the end of cooking." The leaves are similar to romaine, while the stalks taste a little like cucumber, with a mild bitterness. Leaves and inner stalk are tender; outer stalk is typically discarded. Typical cooking is to stir fry the leaves and the stalks. They also can be pickled. Jay, Ben,
The Serious Eats Field Guide to Asian Greens"
Serious Eats, May 15, 2014. Retrieved July 25,2020.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7688261 Brassica Leaf vegetables