Tatsoi – a cold weather hero
Tatsoi is a fast-growing cabbage plant with a beautiful glossy leaf rosette. It is fantastically cold-resistant and takes pride of place in the country when frost has mowed down many other crops. Tatsoi is very tasty and rich in vitamins.
Oriental delicacy
Tatsoi are one of the Asian leafy vegetables that have been cultivated for thousands of years in countries such as China and Japan. The fact that these plants are so useful in the kitchen and tolerate frost well has made them popular in Nordic gardens too. For those who want to extend the growing season with a winter harvest, Asian leafy vegetables are particularly interesting.
Tatsoi leaves are usually dark green, but there are also varieties with a red or purplish colour. The stems are bright and juicy. The leaf rosette grows more upright in warm weather and flatter to the ground when it is cold.
Sow tatsoi in several rounds
Tatsoi can be propagated indoors in March-April. Place the seeds about 1 cm deep, water and keep the sowing moist. The seeds germinate well at room temperature. Once the seedlings have emerged, they thrive best in slightly cooler temperatures, around 15-18 degrees.
Although tatsoi like a bit of cold, tatsoi that have been grown indoors can be a bit sensitive when they come out. It is therefore smart to de-harden the tatsoi plants. Keep them outside for longer and longer periods of time for a couple of days before planting them in fertilised soil at a distance of 10-20 cm.
It is also possible to sow tatsoi directly outdoors, right from the time the soil settles in spring. If sown in batches during spring and summer, you can harvest throughout the summer. However, too much sun can cause tatsoi to flower. A late summer sowing in July-August gives a good harvest in autumn and winter. Tatsoi are also suitable for sowing outdoors in autumn and winter. These seeds germinate early the following spring.
Caring for tatsoi
Feed the tatsoi regularly during the season, for example by putting grass cuttings or other organic material between the plants. This will keep moisture in the soil, smother the weeds and add extra nutrients as they decompose.
Tatsoi thrives in both partial shade and sun, as long as it gets enough water. As cabbage plants are sometimes susceptible to insect attack, tatsoi plants can be covered with fibre cloth. In colder weather there are usually no problems with insects.
Growing tatsoi indoors
Tatsoi works well for indoor cultivation. For microgreens, the seeds are sown quite densely in a growing tray. It takes about 5-15 days from sowing to harvest. Cut the healthy shoots and use them in salads, on sandwiches or as a meal decoration. If you grow tatsoi in a pot indoors instead, the leaves will grow before harvesting. During the winter months, pot-grown tatsoi benefit from extra light, about 8 hours a day.
Tatsoi – a little bundle of goodness
Tatsoi can be picked leaf by leaf. Start with the outer leaves, which will keep the plant long and stimulate it to produce new leaves. You can also allow the leaf rosette to develop fully and then cut off the entire plant a few centimetres above the soil surface. Leave the root in the ground and new leaves can grow.
Like all cabbage plants, tatsoi is a small bundle of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Tatsoi is particularly known for its high content of vitamins A and C.
Tatsoi is used just like spinach. A classic is to serve tatsoi stir-fried or quick-fried with oil and spices. Tatsoi can also be blanched or mixed into soups. The whole plant is delicious raw, in salads or as a pesto. The flowers are also edible and beautiful for decoration. Combine tatsoi with sesame oil and soya for an Asian touch. Or try the Korean custom of making kimchi with tatsoi leaves.
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2022-10-14