Overview
Napa cabbage (Brassica rapa var. pekinensis) is a type of Chinese cabbage with pale green, crinkled leaves and thick white stems, forming an oblong head. It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a tender-crisp texture that softens significantly when cooked. It is a foundational ingredient in East Asian cuisines, particularly Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cooking.
Origin and history
Napa cabbage originated near the Beijing region of China, where it has been cultivated for centuries [1]. It spread to Korea and Japan, where it became central to national cuisines. In Korea, napa cabbage is the primary vegetable for baechu kimchi, the country’s most iconic fermented dish. The cabbage was introduced to the West by European traders and is now grown globally, though it remains most closely associated with East Asian culinary traditions.
Varieties and aliases
- Also known as Chinese cabbage, celery cabbage, or Peking cabbage.
- In Korean, it is called baechu (배추).
- In Japanese, it is called hakusai (白菜).
- In Chinese, it is called dà bái cài (大白菜), meaning “big white vegetable.”
- A related variety is Brassica rapa var. chinensis, known as bok choy, which has a different shape and darker leaves.
Culinary uses
Napa cabbage is used raw, cooked, and fermented. Its most famous application is in Korean baechu kimchi, where whole leaves are salt-brined and layered with a paste of gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and jeotgal (salted seafood). In Chinese cuisine, it is used in stir-fries, hot pots, and soups, such as the Sichuan dish shuizhu niurou (water-boiled beef), where it forms a bed under poached beef in chili oil. It is also fermented into suan cai (Chinese sauerkraut) in Northeast China, used in stews like suan cai bai rou. In Japanese cuisine, it is pickled in rice bran (nukazuke) or used in hot pot (nabe). The outer leaves are sometimes dried and used in Korean ugeoji-haejangguk, a hangover soup.
Cross-cuisine context
Napa cabbage has no direct analogue in Mexican cuisine. The closest functional parallel might be the use of cabbage leaves as a wrap or vessel, similar to how napa cabbage leaves are used for bossam (Korean boiled pork belly wraps) or in Chinese stir-fries. In the broader LA context, napa cabbage is a key ingredient in Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino cooking. The Koryo-saram (Soviet Korean) diaspora adapted napa cabbage into their cuisine, though their most famous cabbage-adjacent dish, morkov-cha (Korean carrot salad), uses carrots instead.
Notes for cooks
- When selecting napa cabbage, look for heads that feel dense and heavy for their size, with crisp, unblemished leaves and no signs of wilting or browning at the cut end.
- For kimchi, use the salt-brining method to draw out moisture and soften the leaves. The salt concentration and brining time affect the final texture and fermentation speed.
- Napa cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in a plastic bag. Outer leaves may wilt first; these can be used for stocks or dried for later use.