Hon Tsai Tai - untreated Chinese Cabbage seeds - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The 'Hon Tsaï Tai' Chinese cabbage is a highly productive cabbage of Chinese origin, whose green leaves, purple stems, and floral buds are consumed as they grow. Its taste is spicy and reminiscent of mustard. It is sown in March - April and from July to September for an autumn and winter harvest.

Chinese cabbages are vegetable plants native to China and, more generally, to East Asia. Like their European counterparts, they belong to the large Brassicaceae family and bear the species name Brassica rapa.

These cabbages, which were hardly found in specialised shops just a few years ago, are gradually gaining ground on our stalls and vegetable gardens, to the delight of Asian cuisine enthusiasts.

They are biennial plants cultivated as annuals full of qualities in taste and nutrition. From a dietary point of view, they are remarkable: low in calories, very rich in vitamins C, A, and potassium, and they also contain a lot of fibre and minerals like calcium.

In cooking, these cabbages can be consumed raw or cooked: in salads, quickly stir-fried in a wok, in soup, or in gratin.

In the vegetable garden, Chinese cabbage has the same requirements as European cabbages: deep soil, excellent fertilization, and regular moisture. It thrives in the sun. Not very hardy, Chinese cabbages are vegetables for late summer and early winter only.

Harvest: Its green leaves, purple stems, and floral buds are harvested as needed.

Storage: It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.

Gardener's tip: To limit watering, we recommend that you mulch the soil with thin successive layers of grass clippings, preferably mixed with dead leaves, once the plants are well developed. This protection, which keeps the soil moist, also reduces weed growth.

Non-treated or "NT" seeds come from conventionally grown plants (usually with the use of pesticides), but they undergo no treatment after harvest. These seeds are allowed in organic market gardening when organic seeds are out of stock.