The experts say that if there is one essential product in Asian cuisine, it is certainly pak choi (Brassica chinensis). It is an oriental vegetable rich in vitamins A and C, whose taste resembles that of cardoon or spinach. It is an oriental vegetable, related to cabbage, with green leaves and a whiteish trunk. The plant's height doesn't exceed half a metre, and the most important thing is that it has gained a reputation for being a healthy food, ideal for losing weight, as it provides no fat and is easily digested. It is also very versatile. It can be served sautéed, in soups, grilled, in spring rolls, in curries and, of course, raw, in salads. It is demanded by the Asian population residing in Spain, but also by the Spanish locals, who have been discovering its qualities for some years.
Thanks to this demand, some producers in Malaga have been growing it for almost five years. This is the case of Sigfrido Fruit, a company based in Vélez-Málaga and specialised in the production and marketing of avocados, mangoes and aromatic herbs (parsley, coriander, mint, rosemary, basil, chives and Asian vegetables, with pak choi and Chinese cabbage). "We started to produce pak choi about five years ago. It is a vegetable that is very well suited for Malaga, and the most surprising thing is that it has a very fast vegetative growth. It can be produced all year round, although in spring, when it blooms, it is not highly recommended," explains the manager of the firm, Sigfrido Molina.
The company, which has just moved its facilities to the Vélez-Málaga wholesale market, annually produces about 30 tonnes of pak choi, which is mainly marketed in Spain (Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia), as well as several European countries.
According to Molina, this is a profitable crop due to its rapid growth. The firm markets both the pekinensis, which is more popular in northern China and is sold for about 90 cents, and the chinensis, most abundant and most popular in the south of the Asian giant.
In Chinese medicine, pak choi is considered to have important anti-inflammatory properties and is also used against infections.
It is cultivated mainly in China, Korea and Japan, but also in Vietnam and the Philippines, and more recently in Europe. In Spain, one of the places with the most tradition in the crop's cultivation, is El Perelló, in Valencia. This municipality exports about 3,000 tonnes of Chinese vegetables each year to many European destinations. The cooperative Unió Protectora (Unipro) is a pioneer in Spain. It entered the business three decades ago, almost by chance, and today it generates half of its turnover (four million Euro) from this product line. In the greenhouses of El Perelló, more than twenty different sorts of Chinese vegetables are grown.
Source: diariosur.es
