Specialty greens come in a fascinating array of colors and textures. Some have curled or rounded leaves, while others produce feathery, deeply lobed leaves. Leaf colors range too, from deep red to light green, while some are mild and some are spicy. All have high fiber content, antioxidants, and several vitamins and minerals. These leafy veggies can be steamed, stir-fried, braised, or even served raw in salads!
Bok Choy: Tender crisp green leaves, fat white to pale green crunchy stalks; available in full or baby size.
Mustard Greens: The crunchy leaves have a frilly, ruffled texture; moderately tender, distinctively sharp, pungent bite.
Mizuna: Feathery leaves with crispy, juicy stalks; bitter, peppery, and piquant, but milder than comparable greens, like arugula, mustard greens, or frisée.
Snow Pea Leaves: The stalks are crisp and hollow, while the leaves are tender; refreshing like snow pea pods, but grassier, fresher, and flavorful enough to be cooked without aromatics.
Tatsoi: Thick, dark green leaves with crisp, juicy stalks, not unlike bok choy; slightly bitter, like mustard greens, but milder.
Chinese Broccoli: Wide flat leaves like collards with thick crisp-tender stalks; similar to broccoli in flavor but stronger and slightly bitter.
Water Spinach: Distinctively crunchy, which holds up remarkably well even when cooked. The hollow stems drink up cooking liquid; very mild and slightly grassy, with some nutty undertones.
Yu Choy: Thin, crunchy, tender stalks; slightly bitter, earthy, mustardy stems. Leaves and small yellow flowers are also edible.
Chinese Celery: Stems are Stems are thin, hollow, and crispy, but smaller and more delicate than common celery. The feathery leaves are used just as much as the stalks; aromatic and grassy, but stronger than common celery.
Wo sun: Long narrow leaves similar to Romaine lettuce, stalks taste a bit like cucumber, leaves are mildly bitter.
Yam Leaves: Plucked from growing yams, leaves are heart-shaped and bright green; mild flavor with less bitterness than other Specialty greens, similar in flavor to water spinach.
Taro Leaves: Taro leaves are heart-shaped, bright to deep green and they can span over a foot in diameter; offering a pleasant nuttiness with an iron finish that is comparable to the flavor of spinach.