Kitchen Garden Forum

I recently bought and planted four different 'oriental leaves'- Pak Choi, Baby Cabbage Wa Wa Sai, Salad Shungiku and Choi Sum Hong Kong.
The problem is, apart from the Pak Choi, I am not sure when they are ready to harvest and then when harvested how to cook them??? Has anyone experience in these rather tasty leaves??
Many thanks!

Hi Jules

I grow oriental leaves, pick them smallish and eat them as salad. They taste pretty good when they're large as well.

I've never tried cooking them though.

Hi Jules

If you want them as salad as Chantal does, pick individual leaves when they are small and leave the plant to continue growing.

As for cooking, when pak choi look like this

either take individual leaves or the whole plant and steam for a few minutes, or, if you want tastier, stir-fry. If you take the whole plant you can cut above ground level and the roots will probably put out more shoots for tender leaves later.

Choi sum is delicious if allowed to put up flower stalks (in fact, that's its main use in China).


Final point: shungiku is not a brassica but a chrysanthemum. Whether you eat raw in salads or stir-fry, use fairly sparingly as it is fairly strong tasting

Thanks very much Chantal and Alan. I have now picked some and just washed and steamed a few leaves all together! Served with butter (I Know I Know but life is just too short!!) and pepper - delicious! At the moment the slugs are at bay as well!!! Thanks again!