What are Asian greens?

What are Asian greens?

Fast-growing greens that are nutrient-packed and will keep your kitchen inspired and brimming with fresh produce over the cooler months. Most of these Asian greens can be sown in both autumn and spring to extend your harvest.

Chinese Broccoli

The stems, leaves and flower buds of Chinese broccoli can all be eaten. It’s thinner and leafier than common broccoli, and should be harvested in 6-8 weeks, just before it flowers.

Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage, or Wong Bok has a fine texture, crinkly leaves and comes in tall, hearted, and loose-headed types. Like regular cabbages, these need to be fed with liquid fertiliser every two to three weeks and to be planted in soil with lots of organic matter. Harvest the heads in eight to ten weeks, when firm and use shredded in coleslaw, in place of lettuce, or in soups or stir-fries.

Non-heading Chinese cabbages

Bok choy or Pak choy are non-heading Chinese cabbages. These come in different varieties, with either white or pale green stems. The green-stemmed varieties have flatter, less juicy stems, and milder, more tender leaves. Harvest either the whole plant or just the outside leaves while the plant is still growing. Steam served with soy sauce and sesame oil as a side dish, thinly sliced in soups or chopped in stir-fries.

Mizuna

Mizuna is a mustard green, a brassica originally from Japan that has finely divided leaves. It can be harvested in as little as 20 days. Add the mild, mustardy leaves to salads.

Daikon

White radish or daikon are grown for the peppery white root, although some also have edible leaves. Harvest about seven weeks after sowing, when the root is 30-50cm long. Finely slice the root raw for salads, or add it to casseroles, soups, and stir-fries.