Savoy cabbage and unusual seasonings such as juniper. Signs of desirable quality include cabbage that is heavy for its size with leaves that are unblemished and have a bright, fresh look. Peak season for most cabbages in the Northern Hemisphere runs from November through April. Fresh whole cabbage will keep in the refrigerator for one to six weeks depending on type and variety. Hard green, white or red cabbages will keep the longest while the looser Savoy and Chinese varieties such as napa and bok choy need to be consumed more quickly. It is necessary to keep the outer leaves intact without
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.