The Real Benefits of Choy Sum: Is It Good?

Choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage) is a famous Asian vegetable. Its multiple Chinese names are essentially its name in Mandarin and the various dialects are spoken in China.  For example, “Chinese flowering cabbage, Chinese mustard, Chinese oil vegetable. Chinese: 油菜心 – yu choy, yau choy (sum) (Cantonese names commonly used in English); yóu cài (xīn), cài xīn (Mandarin).”

Benefits of the Choy sum and its difference

Due to its unique yellowish flowers, it is among the Chinese leafy vegetables that stands apart among the crowd. Whereas another Chinese vegetable, Kailan (or Chinese Broccoli), also has the similar yellow flowers, but the stems and leaves of Choy Sum are a greener than Kailan’s, which is normally a deeper green and quite often duller in shade.

Moreover, it contains folate and vitamin B6, as well as beta-carotene, an antioxidant that our systems can turn to vitamin A. The Choy Sum also contains fibre, calcium, plus iron. Since choy sum as well as other Asian vegetables have less oxalic acid (which hinders with mineral absorption), the iron and calcium in them are easier absorbed than that in spinach or silver beet.

How to prepare it?

Prepare this green in the same way that you would broccoli, utilising simple cooking methods. Both the leaves and stems can be eaten raw or cooked, or incorporated into stir-fries, salads, and soups.

Not quite sure what to cook this delicious vegetable with? Check out this recipe that uses Choy sum fried with other nutritious greens.

Try out the recipe and start adding this vegetable into your meals. E-farm’s Choy sum and other greens are organically grown with no pesticide, giving you the most nutrients! Add them to your cart and we’ll deliver it right to your doorstep.