Bok choy Bok choy Bok choy, pak choi or pok choi (; "Brassica rapa" subsp. "chinensis") is a type of Chinese cabbage. "Chinensis" varieties do not form heads and have smooth, dark green leaf blades instead, forming a cluster reminiscent of mustard greens or celery. "Chinensis" varieties are popular in southern China and Southeast Asia. Being winter-hardy, they are increasingly grown in Northern Europe. This group was originally classified as its own species under the name "Brassica chinensis" by Linnaeus. Other than the ambiguous term "Chinese cabbage", the most widely used name in North America for the "chinensis" variety is "bok choy"
Fat choy Fat choy Fat choy (; "Nostoc flagelliforme") is a terrestrial cyanobacterium (a type of photosynthetic bacteria) that is used as a vegetable in Chinese cuisine. When dried, the product has the appearance of black hair. For that reason, its name in Chinese means "hair vegetable." When soaked, fat choy has a soft texture which is like very fine vermicelli. Fat choy grows on the ground in the Gobi Desert and the Qinghai Plateau. Over-harvesting on the Mongolian steppes has furthered erosion and desertification in those areas. The Chinese government has limited its harvesting, which has caused its price to increase.