Tat Soi

(Brassica rapa)

Tat soi is a wonderful plant from East Asia. It is our family’s favourite cooking green for growing in the late fall and early spring because it thrives in cold weather and stays very short, ideally suited for overwintering in our cold frames. Instead of growing up, these non-heading relatives of pak choi/bok choy grow out, with spreading circles of small, tender dark green leaves. In a fun case of cultural hybridity, we especially like tat soi with spaetzle, a kind of dumpling associated with my mother’s mother’s southern German ancestors.