Store hon tsai tai loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator until ready for use.
Hon Tsai tai is in a group of plants referred to as “flowering brassicas” and has a mild mustard flavor. It is a Chinese specialty green also sometimes called Kailaan. While it is related to such vegetables as mustard greens and bok choi, what sets it apart is that it has beautiful purple stems that produce a sweet, delicate, edible yellow flower. The sweetness of the buds and flowers is the part we love the most! While other vegetables in the brassica family also produce flowers, they do so towards the end of their life cycle and at that point there are often undesirable flavor changes in the edible portion of the plant. Hon Tsai tai is unique in that it produces the flower early in its life when all the parts of the plant still taste good.
The entire plant is edible and may be eaten raw or cooked. The thin purple stems are more tender when the plant is young. While still flavorful, they may become more coarse as the plant matures, so should be cut very finely at this stage. Hon Tsai tai is delicious in stir-fries or lightly steamed or sauteed, but also makes a stunning and flavorful addition to raw salads. A common preparation in Chinese cuisine is to quickly stir-fry hon tsai tai with garlic, onions, and ginger, then add oyster sauce.
