Delicious and healthy Peking Cabbage

Peking cabbage (pesay - English, salad cabbage) is a light green, oblong, loose head, consisting of delicate corrugated leaves. On the shelves of stores it can be found at any time of the year. Peking cabbage combines the best qualities of lettuce and ordinary cabbage - it is as juicy and tender as salad leaves, no less tasty and useful than ordinary cabbage, but its preparation lacks the characteristic sharp cabbage smell. In addition, it is stored for a long time, without losing any taste.

As a cultural plant, Peking cabbage was formed on the territory of China, as evidenced by written references dating back to the VI century AD. It is interesting that in those far times this cabbage was used not only as a vegetable plant, but also as an oil plant. For the first time, Peking cabbage was grown in the northern regions of China, then through Korean peninsula cabbage forms of this kind of cabbage spread to Japan and Indochina. In these countries, they are still considered to be one of the most important cultures.

Until 1970, in America and Europe, Peking cabbage was grown in small and severely limited quantities. In recent years, its production is experiencing a real boom, which is associated with the emergence of special early ripening hybrids, blooming with a significant delay and retaining their long-term merchantability. It is grown both in the open and in the closed ground.

According to its protein and amino acid composition, Peking cabbage surpasses other cabbage plants. In addition, it has a fairly high nutritional value, it contains: nitrogenous and pectin substances, carbohydrates and fiber. This cabbage is rich in carotene, vitamins PP, B1 and B2, and vitamin C contains more than in lettuce leaves. Also, in the leaves of Peking cabbage, a significant amount of raw protein is found, which, in its content, exceeds the white cabbage almost twice. There are many mineral salts of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, as well as various microelements such as vanadium, aluminum, copper, molybdenum, manganese, nickel, titanium, strontium, chromium and zirconium in the leaves of Peking cabbage.

Peking cabbage is widely used for preparation of various salads and soups, they are used in sour, dried, marinated and fried form. This kind of cabbage can even replace white cabbage in such a dish as a borsch, only to cook it needs a little less. Young leaves successfully replace the leaves of lettuce, so it is often called "salad" cabbage. Due to its juiciness it is suitable for cooking cabbage rolls and green sandwiches.

Many of us absolutely undeservedly consider Peking cabbage to be exclusively a sandwich-salad product. However, modern cooking has a lot of recipes for baked, marinated, stewed and fried Peking cabbage.

Marinated Peking cabbage with pepper.

Ingredients: 900 grams of Peking cabbage, 250 grams of sweet pepper, 1 pod of bitter pepper. In addition, 1 liter of water, 50 grams of salt and 110 grams of sugar, 90 grams of apple flavored vinegar to prepare marinade.

Wash cabbage, lightly dry and cut into pieces. Sweet peppers washed, peeled and cut into rings (or straws). Put pepper and cabbage in a container, the right size, pour hot marinade, add hot pepper and put in the cold with a lid. After 24 hours pickled cabbage will be ready. Keep it in the refrigerator for no more than 14 days.

Stewed Peking cabbage.

Ingredients: 500 grams of Peking cabbage, 100-110 grams of chicken broth, 1 tbsp. A spoon of cornstarch, 0.5 cm fresh ginger root, 2 tbsp. Spoons of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of salt.

Wash cabbage, dry with a paper towel and cut in half, remove the core and cut into cubes 3 * 3 cm. Chicken broth and starch mix and set aside. Vegetable oil and ginger to warm up in a frying pan, lay out cabbage, sprinkle with salt, fry with constant stirring for five minutes. Then pour the cabbage with a mixture of broth and starch, stir and dry for another two to three minutes. To serve stewed Peking cabbage must be hot.