Flavorful choy sum brings balance as perfect side dish

Choy sum, also known as Chinese flowering cabbage, is the finest of Chinese greens. This tender, mild but flavorful cabbage has uniformly slender stems that cook evenly and don’t need to be peeled. There’s a nice balance, too, of stem to leaf, often punctuated with bright yellow flowers.

Choy sum is one of the many cabbages grown in Hawaii, much of it in Kunia. It’s available at supermarkets and farmers markets. Look for bright green, fresh leaves and stems; if your fingernail can easily pierce the stem, it will be tender. Cooler months will produce a sweeter choy sum.

Choy sum is the perfect side dish, blanched or stir fried, seasoned just with salt. In the Chinese kitchen, a perfect marriage is choy sum and oyster sauce.

But choy sum isn’t just for Chinese cooking: it can be a delicious addition to pasta dishes, soups and casseroles. Treat it like broccoli. Eat it raw or cooked. Choy sum is one of those good-for-you leafy greens.

Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.