Herb: Chinese Cabbage


Latin name: Brassica rapa pekinensis


Synonyms: Brassica pe-tsai, Brassica pekinensis


Family: Cruciferae



Medicinal use of Chinese Cabbage:

The leaves are depurative.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
45 cm
(1 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Not known in the wild, it is possibly a cross between B. campestris rapa (the turnip) and B. napus chinensis (Pak-choi).

Edible parts of Chinese Cabbage:

Leaves - raw or cooked. A crisp, watery texture with a naturally sweet taste, it is best eaten raw in salads. The plant can be eaten as a young seedling, or left to grow into a mature plant. The flavour is quickly ruined by prolonged cooking. Leaves can also be dried for winter use. The heads of mature plants can be 50cm long and weigh up to 4.5 kg. Fresh leaves do not store well and are best used within a day or two of harvesting. A nutritional analysis is available. Flowering shoots - raw or cooked. Sweet and tender.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - it can be sown from late May to September in situ. The spring sown crops often run to seed very quickly but "barrel" types can be sown at this time. If seedlings are germinated at a temperature of 18 - 20°C and then grown on at this temperature for their first few weeks, they are then less likely to bolt. Seed usually germinates within 3 - 4 days. A late summer sowing under protection can provide leaves in the winter. Seedlings can be transplanted when about 3 - 4 weeks old.

Cultivation of Chinese Cabbage:

Not known in the wild, it is possibly a cross between B. campestris rapa (the turnip) and B. napus chinensis (Pak-choi).

Known hazards of Brassica rapa pekinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.