Shanghai Bok Choy

1. Separate each leave and put it into the water for 20 minutes before wash. Wash the bok Choy. Move out and drain. Make sure there is no extra water on the surface.
2. Cut them into a small piece. Make sure to separate the white part and green leaves part. Heat up cooking oil and add white part into a stir fry for 30 seconds, cover it. Medium heat, wait for the steam out.
3. Add green leaves part to the wok. Stir fry all together. Do a quick stir fry.
4. Add salt and a little bit of sugar, stir fry. Transfer out and enjoy!

Options: I would like to add white mushrooms to get a more rich flavor.

Some Shanghainese will add soy sauce instead of salt. But, I just like the green look. In Vancouver, you can find Shanghai Bok Choy at almost every Chinese, Korean grocery store, and some SaveOn and Safeway stores.

A small story

When I am little, I already like it. But only the green leave part, not the white hard part. Now, after my 30’s, I like both.

A few years ago, one of my cousins told me a story. It is about the 1950s, my grandpa was living in Taipei, Taiwan. He was the manager of a factory. My cousin was working for him.  Every day, he ate a bowl of Shanghai Bok Choy. When I heard the story, I know why I like Shanghai Bok Choy. I never saw my grandfather.

If you know some history about Shanghai, China, in the 1950s, you will know people escape from Red China to look for free life and never turn back. So many innocent people died in the next 20 years.