Mustard greens = Chinese mustard cabbage = Indian mustard = Gai Cai (Mandarin) = Gai Choi (Cantonese) = leaf mustard

Although this vegetable is related to choi sum it looks and taste completely different. Mustard greens look a bit like lettuces, there the resemblance ends. The leaves have a robust, often fiery flavor. They can taste quite bitter. Asian cooks like to pickle this, or else the mature leaves are best use it in soups or stir-fries; very young leaves can be eaten raw in salads.

If you find mustard greens too pungent to stir-fry, blanch it first in lightly salted boiling water or stock; this preserves the green color of the leaves and also gets rid of some of the bitter taste.

mizuna = Japanese greens = spider mustard 

Mizuna has tender leaves and a pleasant, peppery flavor.

 

Chinese Broccoli =Chinese kale = Gai lan

Like rapini, Chinese broccoli has long, slender stems, lots of loose leaves and can be recognized by the tiny white or yellow flowers in the centre. But Chinese broccoli is leafier and less bitter than rapini. As its Chinese name gailan (mustard oechid) implies, Chinese broccoli belongs to the same family as mustard greens, but is more robust, both in terms of texture and of taste. There is a definite cabbage flavor.

Every part of this beautiful vegetable is edible - the flower, leaves, stalk and each has its own individual flavor and texture. Chinese broccoli is often served on its own as a side dish, but it can also be combined with other ingredients that have contrasting colors, flavors and textures. It's a great vegetable to stir-fry, but you can also steam or boil it, as you would broccoli.

Iceberg lettuce = head lettuce = cabbage lettuce = crisphead lettuce 

These are mild salad greens that are always served fresh, either in salads or as garnishes. Iceberg lettuce with leaves that grow in a dense "head, this is prized for its crispness and longevity in the refrigerator, but it's a bit short on flavor and nutrients. 

Romaine lettuce = cos  

Romaine lettuce with closely packed leaves in an elongated head. Romaine combines good flavor and crunch, plus it has a decent shelf life in the refrigerator.  It's the preferred green for Caesar salad.  Green romaine is the most common variety, but you can sometimes find red romaine, which is more tender.

Chinese spinach = hiyu = hon-toi -moi=yin choy = een choy = amaranth = hsien tsai

This is similar to spinach, only it's prettier, tastier, and more nutritious. Look for it in Asian markets.
 

Chrysanthemum leaves = chop suey greens = tong ho = tung ho = garland chrysanthemum = shungiku   

This Asian potherb is used to flavor salads, soups, sukiyaki and other dishes.  The leaves are usually blanched briefly to soften them and deepen their color, but young leaves can be served raw.  Add them to cooked dishes at the last minute, as they become bitter if overcooked.

Malabar spinach = Ceylon spinach = saan choy = slippery vegetable = alogbati = mong toi = Vietnamese spinach  

This is cooked much like spinach, but it's a bit slimy like okra.  It occasionally shows up in Asian markets. 

 

Spinach 

Spinach is packed with nutrients, and it's quite versatile.  You can toss it raw into salads, or cook it briefly to make a side dish or soup.   Of the two main varieties, smooth leaf spinach = flat leaf spinach = salad spinach is more delicate and better suited to salads than curly leaf spinach  

Callaloo = taro leaf = bhaji = elephant's ear = sag = sagaloo   

These huge leaves are about a foot and a half long, and they're a popular vegetable among Pacific islanders and some Asians.  Many Western cooks steer clear of them, though, since they must be cooked for at least 45 minutes to an hour to rid them of calcium oxalate, a toxin that irritates the throat if swallowed. 

water spinach = swamp spinach = ung choy = long green = kangkong = tangkong  

This cooking green is very common in the Philippines.  Some varieties have purple stems.