Shanghai bok choy and choy sum give crisp-tender stems and soft leaves in the same cooking time, so they cover crunch, bulk and moisture with no change to the method. Wombok's white ribs give similar juicy crunch, but it sheds more water, so cook the ribs first in small batches over very high heat and add the leaves at the end.
You're steaming or blanching greens to serve on a plate with oyster sauce and garlic oil beside rice or roast meat.
Here the vegetable is eaten almost plain, so crunch and mild flavour matter most. Shanghai bok choy and choy sum blanch in the same minute or two and stay mild. Gai lan works if you peel thick stems and give them 2–3 minutes before the leaves, but its bitterness will be noticeable under a light sauce.
You're dropping greens into a noodle soup, ramen, wonton soup or hotpot in the last minute or two of cooking.
In a broth, the extra water a substitute releases does no harm, so the job is just leafy bulk and some stem bite. Choy sum and wombok both soften into the soup the way bok choy does. Silverbeet holds up well in hot broth but its earthy taste comes through a clear stock, so it suits richer, spicier soups better.
You're chopping bok choy finely to mix with pork, prawn or tofu for dumplings, wontons or spring rolls.
Once chopped fine, the stem crunch matters less than mild flavour and moisture control. Wombok is the traditional choice for many dumpling fillings and tastes slightly sweeter. With either, salt the chopped greens, leave them 10 minutes and squeeze out the liquid so the filling does not turn soggy.
You're making fried rice or a mixed-vegetable stir-fry with plenty of other flavours, and there are no Asian greens in the fridge.
When soy, garlic, egg and other vegetables carry the dish, bok choy is mostly there for bulk and crunch. Finely shredded green cabbage gives both if it is cooked only 2–3 minutes. Thinly sliced celery copies the crisp stems and baby spinach the soft leaves, though celery's herbal flavour will show.
What Bok Choy does in a recipe
texture & crunch · primary — The thick, juicy white stems stay crisp-tender after a quick stir-fry, steam or blanch, giving a dish its crunch.
bulk & colour · primary — The dark green leaves wilt in seconds to soft, glossy greens that bulk out stir-fries, noodle soups and rice bowls and add colour.
moisture · secondary — Being mostly water, the stems release liquid as they cook, which loosens sauces and adds body to broths.
flavour · secondary — It has a mild, faintly mustardy cabbage taste that soaks up garlic, oyster sauce, soy and stock without competing with them.
A little more mustardy and grassy, sometimes with a faint bitterness from the flower buds.
Texture
Thinner stems give a lighter crunch rather than a juicy bite.
Looks
Long, slender green stems, often with small yellow flowers, instead of chunky white bases.
Best for
stir-fries, blanched greens with oyster sauce, noodle soups
Dairy-freeVeganGluten-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
wombok
One catch
250 g for every 250 g bok choy
The white ribs give similar juicy crunch and the leaves wilt the same way, but it sheds more water, so it needs high heat and staggered cooking.
The catch: Slice the ribs and leaves separately, stir-fry the ribs first over very high heat in small batches, and add the leaves only for the last 30 seconds so the dish does not stew.
Its white stems and broad leaves give both crunch and leafy bulk, but the flavour is earthy rather than mild.
Covers
texture & crunch, bulk & colour, moisture
Misses
flavour
Taste
Earthy and slightly metallic, like beetroot leaves, which shows through light sauces.
Texture
The stems are stringier and need a couple of minutes longer than the leaves.
Looks
Wider, crinkled leaves, and coloured varieties can tint the dish.
Best for
soups, stir-fries with strong sauces, braises
Dairy-freeVeganGluten-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
green cabbage
Close enough
250 g for every 250 g bok choy
Shredded, it gives bulk and some crunch, but it has no juicy stem and a stronger brassica flavour.
Covers
bulk & colour, texture & crunch
Misses
moisture, flavour
Taste
More pronounced cabbage flavour that turns sulphurous if overcooked.
Texture
Firm, chewy-crunchy shreds rather than tender leaves and juicy stems.
Looks
Uniform pale green shreds instead of whole leaves or halved heads.
Best for
stir-fries, fried rice, noodle soups
Dairy-freeVeganGluten-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
celery plus baby spinach
Close enough
125 g celery plus 125 g baby spinach for every 250 g bok choy
Celery stands in for the crisp stems and baby spinach for the soft leaves, but celery brings its own strong flavour.
Covers
texture & crunch, bulk & colour, moisture
Misses
flavour
Taste
Celery adds a distinct savoury, herbal note and spinach a slightly mineral one.
Texture
Celery stays crunchier and more fibrous, while spinach collapses to almost nothing.
Looks
Sliced celery and dark wilted spinach instead of white stems with green leaves.
Best for
stir-fries, fried rice, noodle soups
Dairy-freeVeganGluten-freeNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
Commonly tried, but skip these
People reach for these, and they let you down.
frozen spinach
Skip it
People reach for it because it is a green vegetable already in the freezer, but it is blanched and chopped before freezing, so it has no stems to give crunch and it floods a wok with water, turning a stir-fry or oyster-sauce greens into a soggy stew.
Tried this swap? How did it work?
When to buy the real thing
You're serving halved or whole baby bok choy as a plated side, where the white stem and green leaf shape is the look of the dish.
Instead: Use Shanghai bok choy, which halves and cooks the same way, or buy baby bok choy, which most Australian supermarkets and every Asian grocer stock, because chopped substitutes cannot hold that shape.
The only green you have is frozen spinach and the recipe is a stir-fry or a side of oyster-sauce greens.
Instead: Choose a soup, curry or noodle broth for tonight instead, where soft, watery greens are fine, and save the stir-fry for when you have fresh greens.
Rescue a swap gone wrong
The stir-fry is sitting in a pool of thin liquid and the greens are stewing instead of searing.
Why: The wok was overcrowded or not hot enough, so the water in the stems, or in watery wombok, leaked out faster than it could evaporate.
Fix: Lift the vegetables out, boil the liquid hard until it reduces by half, then thicken it with 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed into 1 tablespoon cold water (an Australian 20 ml tablespoon is fine here) and toss the greens back through for 30 seconds.
The gai lan stems are woody and hard to chew while the leaves are already limp.
Why: The thick stems were not peeled or were cut too thick and went in at the same time as the leaves.
Fix: Pick out the stems, slice them thinly on the diagonal, and cook them with a splash of water under a lid for 2–3 minutes before stirring the leaves back in.
The silverbeet tastes earthy and metallic against a light garlic or stock sauce.
Why: Silverbeet lacks bok choy's mild flavour, and a delicate sauce leaves nothing to cover its beetroot-like taste.
Fix: Add more garlic and fresh ginger, a splash of oyster sauce or Shaoxing wine, and a few drops of sesame oil to give the dish a stronger flavour that masks the earthiness.
The cabbage smells sulphurous and has gone limp and grey-green.
Why: Green cabbage was cooked too long, which releases strong sulphur compounds and softens the shreds.
Can't be fixed — next time: This cannot be reversed; next time shred the cabbage finely and stir-fry it over high heat for only 2–3 minutes, adding it near the end of cooking.
Key numbers
Water
about 95%The high water content is why bok choy releases liquid in the wok and why watery substitutes behave similarly.
Protein
about 1.5%Like most leafy greens it adds very little protein, so swaps between greens do not change the structure of a dish.
Sugars
about 1%The low sugar content keeps the flavour mild rather than sweet, unlike wombok, which tastes slightly sweeter.
Differences between countries
Chinese cabbage means different things (United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, Canada)
The name Chinese cabbage can be used for either bok choy or wombok, depending on the shop and the country. In New Zealand it usually means wombok. Check for a loose head of white stems with dark green leaves (bok choy) rather than a tight, pale, oval head (wombok).
Applies to Australia
Wombok goes by other names (Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Canada)
The tight, pale cabbage Australians call wombok is sold as Chinese leaf in the UK and as napa cabbage in the US and Canada. A recipe that calls for any of these names wants that cabbage, not bok choy.
Where to buy it
Applies to Australia
Australia · easy to find
fruit and veg section, Asian grocers
Most supermarkets stock baby bok choy, often in bunches, and Asian grocers usually carry larger heads and Shanghai bok choy as well.
United Kingdom · easy to find
supermarket vegetable aisle, Asian grocers
Look for it labelled as pak choi, usually sold as small heads in plastic packs.
New Zealand · easy to find
produce section, Asian grocers
Asian grocers tend to have a wider choice of sizes and related greens such as choy sum.
United States · easy to find
produce section, Asian grocers
Both full-size and baby bok choy are commonly sold, with more variety at Asian grocers.
Canada · easy to find
produce section, Asian grocers
Asian grocers usually stock several sizes plus Shanghai bok choy and choy sum.
What is Bok Choy called in other countries?
Australia
bok choy
United Kingdom
pak choi
New Zealand
bok choy
United States
bok choy
Canada
bok choy
buk choypok choiChinese white cabbagebaby bok choywhite-stemmed bok choy
Measurements differ too, not just names: the kitchen conversion chart covers cups, spoons and oven temperatures across these countries.
Questions people ask
Is pak choi the same as bok choy?
Yes, pak choi is the same vegetable as bok choy. Pak choi is the usual name in the UK, while Australia, the US and Canada mostly say bok choy, and both come from Cantonese.
What is the difference between bok choy and baby bok choy?
Baby bok choy is harvested younger, so the heads are smaller and the stems are more tender. It can be halved and cooked whole in a couple of minutes, while full-size bok choy has thicker stems that are best sliced and cooked a minute or so before the leaves.
Is wombok the same as bok choy?
No, wombok is a different vegetable, although both are Chinese brassicas. Wombok grows as a tight, pale, oval head with frilly leaves and tastes slightly sweeter, and it releases more water when cooked. It works in place of bok choy if you stir-fry the ribs first over very high heat and add the leaves at the end.
Can you eat bok choy raw?
Yes, bok choy can be eaten raw, and young baby bok choy works best for this. Slice the stems thinly for crunch and shred the leaves into salads or slaws, where its mild, faintly mustardy flavour takes a sesame or soy dressing well.
How do you clean bok choy?
Halve or quarter the heads lengthways and rinse them under running water while fanning the layers apart. Grit and soil often collect at the base between the stems, so check there. Shake or spin the pieces dry before stir-frying so the wok stays hot.
Can I leave bok choy out of a stir-fry?
Yes, the dish will still work without it, but you lose the crunch and the green bulk. If you skip it, add another quick-cooking vegetable such as snow peas, sliced capsicum or shredded cabbage so the stir-fry is not just meat and sauce.
Where Bok Choy comes from
Bok choy is a leafy variety of Brassica rapa, the same species as the turnip, and has been grown in China for centuries. Its name comes from Cantonese and roughly means white vegetable, after its pale stems.
Bok Choy is usually dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free — check the label, and see the disclaimer.