Chinese Mustard Green / Cai Xin

Chinese Mustard Green/Choy Sum/Cai Xin (Brassica Rapa) is a leafy vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine. It is a member of the genus Brassica of the mustard family, Brassicaceae (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis or Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis). Choy sum is a transliteration of the Cantonese name, which can be literally translated as “heart of the vegetable”. It is also known as Chinese flowering cabbage.

Choy sum is a green leafy vegetable similar to gai lan, and can be characterized by the distinct yellow flowers which it bears. Each flower has four yellow, oval to round petals with six stamens on fleshy, erect stems which are 0.5 to 1 centimetre (1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch) in diameter and 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) tall with light to dark green, and are oval (becomes acuminate shaped, or basal-shaped near the flowering stage) with slightly serrated margins leaves, which never forms compact heads like the cabbage. Fruits can develop out of cross-pollination or self-pollination, and are silique structured, that open at maturity through dehiscence or drying to bare open to brown or black seeds that are small and round in shape. A single pod can bear up to 4 to 46 seeds.

Health Benefits

There’s currently limited research on the specific benefits of eating mustard greens. Still, the individual nutrients found in mustard greens — and Brassica vegetables in general — have been associated with numerous health benefits

Health benefits of Chinese Mustard Green/Choy Sum/Cai Xin include:

• Rich in disease-fighting antioxidants
• Excellent source of vitamin K
• Could boost immunity
• May benefit heart health
• May be good for eye health
• May have anticancer effects