Featured Item: Napa Cabbage from Aloun Farms

Napa cabbage is a type of Chinese cabbage originating near the Beijing region of China that is widely used in East Asian cuisine. Since the 20th century, it has also become a widespread crop in Europe, the Americas and Australia. In much of the world, it is referred to as “Chinese cabbage”

Napa cabbage can be eaten raw in salads. It has high water content and takes on a sweet and juicy flavor when cooked, picking up other flavors from the food it’s cooked with. Since it softens as well, it’s frequently added to stir-fries and soups in the last stages of cooking.

Be sure to thoroughly rinse napa cabbage before preparing it. Allow it to drain in a colander. You will also want to remove the stem, cutting the bottom inch or so from the base of the plant. You can either cut the entire head in half lengthwise or leave it whole before chopping it into strips. Depending on how it’s to be used, another option is to pull off individual leaves, as you would green cabbage.

In addition to incorporating it into traditional Chinese recipes, you can also use napa cabbage to line a bamboo steamer. This will help prevent food from sticking to the bottom when cooking.