Chinese · Cantonese · side

Blanched Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce (Baak Cheuk Choi Sum)

Blanched Choy Sum with Oyster Sauce (Baak Cheuk Choi Sum) reads umami 6.2, salinity 5.7 and sweetness 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese · Cantonese side, about 9 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.2 · Salinity 5.7 · Sweetness 5.5 · Nutty 4.3 · Allium 4.2 · Richness 3.7 · Funk & Ferment 3.0 · Sourness 1.2 · Warm Spice 0.9 · Earthy 0.7 · Bitterness 0.7 · Floral 0.5 · Herbaceous 0.5

What's in it (12)

Time & effort: about 9 min · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 4.1 kcal, 0.1 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 0.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (5 steps)

  1. Bring the water to a hard rolling boil with the oil, sugar and salt. The oil films the leaves and makes them shine, the sugar keeps them tasting sweet rather than grassy. This is the standard Cantonese baak cheuk water and it is worth setting up properly.
  2. Drop in the stems first, count 30 seconds, then push the leaves under for another 30 to 45 seconds. The stems should still snap and the leaves should be a deeper, glossy green. Lift out and drain hard, because waterlogged greens dilute the sauce.
  3. While the greens drain, warm the peanut oil in a small pan over medium heat and fry the garlic 30 to 40 seconds until pale gold, then take it off the heat at once; it goes on colouring in the hot oil.
  4. Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water to the pan and simmer 30 seconds, until it thickens slightly and coats a spoon.
  5. Lay the greens on a plate all facing the same way, spoon the sauce over the stems, add the sesame oil and serve hot.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.