Tat Soi
Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa
Details
Tat Soi comes from a Cantonese word meaning “drooping vegetable,” Its natural habitat is alongside the Yangtze River. It is also called ‘Chinese flat cabbage,’ ‘rosette pakchoi,’ or ‘broadbeaked mustard,’ ‘spoon mustard,’ or ‘spinach mustard.’
The leaves of Tat Soi are similar to romaine, while the stalks taste a little like cucumber, with a mild bitterness.
Culinary Uses
Tatsoi is used for pesto, salads, stir-fries, and garnishing on soup. According to Food52, “Tatsoi is a very versatile green, equally suited to being served raw or lightly cooked. To make it easy, use Tatsoi anywhere you’d use spinach. Then, lightly steam or sauté it, wilt the leaves with a warm dressing, or add them to a soup at the end of cooking.”
Leaves and inner stalk are tender; the outer stem is typically discarded. Typical cooking is to stir fry the leaves and the stalks. They also can be pickled.
Note: Produce at harvests will vary based on season; please sign up for our newsletter to learn what’s growing each month.
Recipes:
Savory Tatsoi Salad