Choy Sum

Choy sum, also called Chinese flowering cabbage, is one of the most widely eaten leafy greens in Chinese cuisine. It has slender, pale green stems, broad soft leaves, and small yellow flower buds — all of which are edible. The flavour is mild and slightly sweet, with a tender texture that cooks quickly.

In Australia, choy sum is a staple at Asian grocers and increasingly available in major supermarkets. It’s most commonly stir-fried with garlic and oyster sauce, blanched and dressed with soy, or added to soups and noodle dishes. It’s one of the quickest-cooking greens around — a minute or two in a hot wok is all it needs.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Choy sum is a fast-growing brassica, typically ready to harvest within 35 to 50 days of planting. The whole plant — stems, leaves, and flower buds — is cut at the base before the flowers fully open, when the stems are at their most tender. It’s sold as bunched whole plants with minimal processing beyond washing and trimming.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 17kcal
Protein 1.3g
Carbs 0.9g
Fat 0.3g
Fibre 2.8g Sugar 0.8g
Mass Distribution

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈0.5kg
Freshwater ≈130L
Land ≈0.4m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

stir-fried leafy green

Classic dishes
  • Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce
  • Stir-Fried Choy Sum
  • Dim Sum Greens

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Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

FSANZ

How it was calculated

Analysed

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromChoy Sum, leaves and stems goes well withgarlic goes well withoyster sauce goes well withginger goes well withsoy sauce goes well withsesame oil
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