Napa, or Chinese cabbage, Brassica rapa var. Pekinensis, is also called Chinese white cabbage, celery cabbage, or Peking cabbage. “Napa” comes from the Japanese word for “leaves,” but in Japan it is called “hakusai.”
It is a cross between bok choy and turnip, and has been cultivated in China for over 1,000 years.
It is one of my favorite vegetables and reminds me of my mother’s cooking. Growing up, it was often our main dish, with little slices of lean pork, seasoned by soy sauce, mirin and sugar.
When shopping for Chinese cabbage, make sure they are heavy and dense. The color should be light green to yellow, and free of blemishes.
I often go to the market and buy a cartfull of Chinese cabbage, which is added to oyakodon, katsudon and tamagodon. Invariably I get stopped by several people, asking me if I am going to make kimchi.
Yes, Chinese cabbage is an essential ingredient in making kimchi, but there are certainly so many other uses for this versatile vegetable.
When you get home, wrap it first in paper towels and then in plastic wrap. It will keep a week in the refrigerator.
When cutting the leaves for a stir-fry dish, it is important to cut the leaves in a 45 degree angle to expose more surface area for the sauce to cling to the cabbage. When cut in an angle, there is exposed capillary structure which will grip the sauce, which wouldn’t happen if the cabbage is cut straight down.
The Cook’s Illustrated staff would always go to FuLoon, a Szechuan restaurant in the Boston suburbs. It was one of Boston’s best-kept secrets and the number one dish, hot diced chicken Szechuan, was only $11.95, their number 2 best dish was steamed beef, Szechuan-style for only $11.95, their noodles with spicy Szechuan sauce was $6.50, the Szechuan sliced pork with green hot pepper, only $9.95, mapo tofu for only $9.25, and their famous Mandarin cabbage with spicy and sour, only $9.25. Notice I state “was” as it closed its doors during the pandemic.
So the Cook’s Illustrated staff said the sauce is so delicious that when the meal is over and there is no more Chinese cabbage on the plate, you can still spoon the sauce over a scoop of rice and continue to enjoy this cabbage dish!
Maggie Zhu, cookbook author of “Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles and More,” says this recipe has a “sour-hot-sweet balance of the sauce, the aroma of the oil, infused with garlic, ginger, and scallions, the fragrance and subtle heat of the chilies; the twinge of char that the cabbage picks up when it’s stir-fried over high heat, and the vegetable’s textural dichotomy.”
Suan La Bai Cai
Sour and Hot Napa Cabbage
Serves 4
1 head napa cabbage, about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Zhenjiang, or also called Chinkiang, or black vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2-1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
3-5 small dried chilies, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 green onion, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Discard any outer leaves from the cabbage that are bruised or torn. Peel away enough leaves to yield 1-1/2 pounds, or 16 to 20 leaves. Reserve smaller leaves near the core for other uses (kimchi). Stack three similar-size leaves and, using a sharp knife, remove the white portion from the center. Keeping pieces stacked, cut cabbage whites crosswise at a 45-degree angle into 1-inch thick slices and place in a medium bowl. Cut the cabbage greens into 2-inch pieces and place in a second medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sugar together in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until just smoking. Add the chilies and cook, stirring constantly with a wok spatula or wooden spoon, until they begin to brown, about 30 seconds. Add the green onion whites, ginger and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about one minute.
Increase the heat to high and add the sliced cabbage whites. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cabbage begins to turn translucent at the edges, about 2 minutes. Add chopped cabbage greens, and cook, stirring constantly, until the greens begin to collapse and wilt, about 1-1/2 minutes longer.
Whisk the soy sauce mixture to recombine and pour the cabbage. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cabbage is evenly coated and the sauce has thickened, about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the cabbage to a large serving bowl. Garnish with green onions and serve with rice.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
