Bok choy (from the Cantonese, literally meaning "white vegetable"; also spelled "pak choi", "bok choi", and "pak choy"). In the UK and South Africa, the term "pak choi" is used. Less commonly, the descriptive English names "Chinese chard", "Chinese mustard", "celery mustard", and "spoon cabbage" are also employed. In Australia, the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries has redefined many transcribed names to refer to specific cultivars. In addition, they have introduced the word "buk choy" to refer to a specific kind of cabbage distinct from "pak choy". In China, the majority of Chinese speak Mandarin (about 955 million people), and
Fat choy This may be one reason why some commercially available fat choy has been found to be adulterated with strands of a non-cellular starchy material, with other additives and dyes. Real fat choy is dark green in color, while the counterfeit fat choy appears black. The last two syllables of this name in Cantonese sound the same as another Cantonese saying meaning "struck it rich" (though the second syllable, "coi", has a different tone) -- this is found, for example, in the Cantonese saying, ""Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4"" (恭喜發財, meaning "wishing you prosperity"), which is often proclaimed during Chinese New Year.