Product information

Everything about chinese kool

What every professional kitchen needs to know about Chinese cabbage: origin, flavour, preparation and storage.

What is chinese kool?

Chinese cabbage (大白菜), also known as Peking cabbage or napa cabbage, is the large, cylindrical cabbage variety with light-green, crinkled leaves and broad white ribs. It is the most popular cabbage variety in East Asia and the base for Korea's national dish, kimchi.

The cabbage has a high water content and a mild flavour that combines excellently with strong seasonings. The outer part is coarser; the inner yellow leaves are tender and sweeter.

大白菜Chinese cabbagenapa cabbagePeking cabbagebaechu

Origin & tradition

Originating from northern China, with cultivation spread to Japan, Korea and all of East Asia. In Korea, Chinese cabbage (baechu) is the base for kimchi, which has been fermented as a winter preserve for more than a thousand years.

In Japan, the cabbage is called hakusai and is an indispensable ingredient in nabe (hotpot), gyoza filling and pickled side dishes.

Flavour & texture

The flavour of Chinese cabbage is mild and slightly sweet, almost neutral in character. When heated, the leaves soften and the sweetness increases. The ribs retain some crunch.

In Chinese cuisine it is used in hotpot, soups and braises. In Thai cuisine it is called pak kaat khao (ผักกาดขาว) and is used in Thai clear soups, hotpots and wok dishes in Thai-Chinese restaurant kitchens. In Vietnamese cuisine it is called cải thảo and is a standard soup and hotpot vegetable. In Indonesian cuisine (sawi putih or kobis cina) it is used in mie goreng, bakmi and pickles. In Japanese cuisine, hakusai is indispensable in nabe (hotpot) and as tsukemono. In Korean cuisine, baechu is the base for kimchi.

Kitchen applications

Vietnamese clear soups and hotpot with cải thảo
Indonesian mie goreng and bakmi — sawi putih as the standard cabbage vegetable
Japanese nabe (hotpot) — hakusai is the most widely eaten vegetable in Japanese hotpot
Korean kimchi (baechu kimchi) — the base of the most widely eaten kimchi
Chinese hotpot and braised dishes
Japanese tsukemono (pickled cabbage as a condiment)

Storage & freshness

Chinese cabbage is robust and keeps well at 2 to 4°C. A whole head stays good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Cut cabbage deteriorates in 3 to 5 days.

Wrap cut cabbage in cling film to prevent it from drying out.

Professional kitchen tip

Sprinkle cut Chinese cabbage with salt and leave to drain for 20 minutes before using it in the wok. This draws out excess moisture and makes the leaves crisper.

Use the outer leaves for braised dishes and stock; use the inner yellow leaves for raw preparations and kimchi.

Fresh Chinese Kool delivered daily to your kitchen

Choina delivers fresh Asian produce every morning to restaurants and wholesalers across the Netherlands and Belgium — Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Antwerp and Brussels. No minimum order.

WhatsApp Call