Asian Cabbage ‘Tokyo Bekana’
Brassica rapa var. chinensis
‘Tokyo Bekana’ is essentially a smaller, Japanesebred version of wombok, the familiar Chinese
cabbage. Unlike its heart-forming relative, however, ‘Tokyo Bekana’ is more flamboyant, producing a loose rosette of ruffled, pale green leaves on snowwhite stems. It’s a plant absolutely made for warm winter salads. The leaves are tender and sweet, harvestable from the microgreen stage right
through to maturity, and they’re packed full of nutrients. A recent study by Professor Jennifer Di Noia at William Paterson University in the US found that Asian cabbage ranks only second to watercress in terms of nutrient density. Supercharge ‘Tokyo Bekana’ even more by growing it in fertile soil enriched with rock minerals and organic fertiliser or composted chook manure.
