Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)

• Bok Choy is part of the cabbage family and is often called chinese cabbage
• It has thick, white stalks and dark green leaves that have a round shape
• Drying the bok choy dates back from Chinese history as a way to preserve the vegetable after the harvest season
• It is often used in a variety of Asian dishes (the Koreans use this for kim-chi)
• Dried bok choy is highly sustainable in dry weather and can keep for at least 6 months in a sealed container

How do I prepare it?

• When removed from package, you need to soak the dried bok choy in warm water for at least an hour
• Wash thoroughly with cool water (bok choy usually has a lot of sand and dirt in them)
• Cut into smaller, edible pieces if required

Where can I buy this?

• You can buy this fresh from most supermarkets
• Dried bok choy is usually found in Asian supermarkets

What is the cost?

• Dried bok choy is usually sold pre-packaged and costs around $3 – 5 CAD / package (containing around 5 large adult bok choys similar to those pictured above)

Any benefits?

• Bok choy is a good source of calcium, vitamin C, and is high in antioxidants
• It is a high fibre and low calorie vegetable
• It is sustainable in growth in a variety of weather conditions and therefore can easily be grown almost anywhere in the world

Any precautions?

• You must soak and clean this product prior to consumption to remove any preservatives, pesticides and dirt

Chinese like to use dried bok choy as there is a certain type of taste that comes with it when boiled in soup.  Fresh bok choy will not give you the same taste, but is probably nutritionally better for you.  When making soups, I usually use both dried and fresh to have the best of both worlds.