Let’s see. How did it come about that for the past two weeks I have been buying, and consuming, lots of baby bok choy?

Could it be that I am connected genetically somehow to baby bok choy? Could it be that I have an atavistic gustatory connection to my childhood memories of drinking (and eating) soup containing bok choy in Chinese restaurants? Could it be that I heard from someone, or read somewhere (perhaps, Prevention magazine), about the salutary effects of bok choy?

Anyway, I like it. Raw. It’s tender, crunchy, juicy, slightly sweet and peppery, has not too strong a taste, and it is cute. It goes well mixed up with other veggies in my Magic Bullet green smoothies. I like its crunch and taste in my homemade vegetable soups and stir-frys.

What the heck is bok choy anyway?

Google tells me bok choy [Brassica campestris] is a member of the cabbage family, related to cabbage, kale and broccoli. The Chinese have been cultivating it for more than 5,000 years. One cup of raw, shredded bok choy has 9 calories, no fats or sugar, and provides 104% percent of the RDA of vitamin A, 35 percent of the RDA of vitamin C, 27 percent RDA of vitamin K, and 12 percent RDA of folate (folic acid). Bok choy’s health-benefiting anti-oxidants help to reduce cancers of the lung, colon, prostate and endometrial area. Baby Bok choy also is known as squat. Bok choy is sometimes called “soup spoon” because of the shape of its leaves. In China, bok choy is hung from clotheslines to dry. This concentrates its flavor.

Guess what I am crunching on now. Yum! Crunch squat.

Will I hang it out to dry? No way – from a guy who eats only mild salsa.

Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com