Tatsoi

Tatsoi (Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa[1] or Brassica rapa var. rosularis[2]) is an Asian variety of Brassica rapa grown for greens. This plant has become popular in North American cuisine as well, and is now grown throughout the world.

Tatsoi
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Brassica
Species:
B. rapa
Subspecies:
B. r. subsp. narinosa
Trinomial name
Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa
(L.H.Bailey) Hanelt
tatsoi
Chinese塌菜
Hanyu Pinyintācài
Jyutpingtaap3 coi3

Naming

The name comes from Cantonese 塌菜 taap3 coi3 or "drooping vegetable", often rendered 'tat soi', 'tat choy'. In Mandarin, the equivalent is 塌棵菜 tā kē cài. It is also called 'Chinese flat cabbage', 'rosette pakchoi' or 'broadbeaked mustard',[3] 'spoon mustard',[2] or 'spinach mustard'.

Description

The plant has dark green spoon-shaped leaves which form a thick rosette. It has a soft creamy texture and has a subtle yet distinctive flavour.

It can be grown to harvestable size in 45–50 days, and can withstand temperatures down to –10 °C (15 °F). Tatsoi can even be harvested from under snow.


Nutritional value

Tatsoi contains high levels of vitamin C, carotenoids, folic acid, calcium and potassium.[4]

References
  1. Report of a Vegetables Network: Joint Meeting with an Ad Hoc Group on Leafy Vegetables, 22-24 May 2003, Skierniewice, Poland. Rome: Bioversity International. 2005. p. 58. ISBN 9789290436799. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  2. Creasy, Rosalind (15 Mar 1999). The Edible Salad Garden. Vermont: Tuttle Publishing. p. 48. ISBN 9781462917617. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  3. "Sorting Brassica rapa names". Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. The University of Melbourne. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  4. "Nutrition Facts for Tatsoi (Spoon Mustard)". HealWithFood.org. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
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