This is a classic northern Chinese home-style dish featuring tender cabbage leaves balanced by a sharp, tangy vinegar glaze. It is commonly served as a quick, light vegetable accompaniment to steamed rice or noodles during everyday family meals.
Vegan Vegetarian Pescetarian Dairy-Free Nut-Free Egg-Free
Nutrient score: Excellent
Goodness for its calories, 25 to 100.
How is this worked out?
The nutrient score shows how much goodness a recipe gives for its calories, from 25 to 100. Every recipe gets at least 25. It is the same for everyone.
It adds up how much of 11 nutrients people need the recipe gives for its calories: protein, fibre, vitamins A, C and E, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, folate and zinc. Each counts up to a full day’s worth for the calories. It then takes points off for saturated fat, added sugar and sodium above a fair share for the calories.
75 and over: Excellent. 60 to 74: Very good. 45 to 59: Good. 35 to 44: Fair. 25 to 34: Low.
The formula (from the recipe’s values per 100 g):
- Share of the day: the recipe’s kcal per 100 g ÷ 2,000 (under 40 kcal per 100 g, such as a herb or tea, counts as 40 kcal).
- 11 nutrients to encourage: protein (50 g), fibre (28 g), vitamin A (900 mcg), vitamin C (90 mg), vitamin E (15 mg), calcium (1,300 mg), iron (18 mg), potassium (4,700 mg), magnesium (420 mg), folate (400 mcg) and zinc (11 mg). For each: amount ÷ (Daily Value × share), at most 1. Add them up.
- 3 nutrients to limit: saturated fat (20 g), added sugar (50 g) and sodium (2,300 mg). For each: amount ÷ (limit × share) − 1, only when above 0 and at most 3. Add them up.
- Result = 100 × (step 2 − 2 × step 3) ÷ 11, kept between 0 and 100.
- Score = 25 + 0.75 × result, rounded. The scale runs from 25 to 100 instead of 0 to 100: every edible recipe gets at least 25, and the order doesn’t change.
It follows the Nutrient Rich Foods index (NRF 9.3) with the U.S. FDA Daily Values for a 2,000 kcal day. Different from the published index: folate and zinc are added (11 nutrients instead of 9), the nutrients to limit count double and each at most three times its share, the 40 kcal floor, and the 25 to 100 scale. When some of the values it needs are unknown, the score is shown as “about”.
A recipe’s values are worked out from its ingredients, whose values are estimates.
Sources: Drewnowski A. Defining nutrient density: development and validation of the Nutrient Rich Foods index. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28(4):421S-426S; U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels.
A low score doesn’t make a recipe bad: treats and festive dishes have their place. Use the score to compare similar recipes. In the GapPlate app you also see how much of the gaps in your day a serving fills.
Units:
Ingredients
- 1 medium Napa cabbage (1 kg)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable oil (27 g)
- 3 pieces Dried Red Whole Chilli (6 g)
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (1.5 g)
- 2 cloves Garlic (10 g)
- 3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar (47 g)
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce (17 g)
- 1 tsp Sugar (4.2 g)
- Salt, to taste
- Ingredients in total: 1.11 kg
- Weight lost in cooking: 612 g (mostly water boiling off)
- Net weight (cooked): 500 g · 2½ servings of about 200 g
Method
- Cut the Napa cabbage leaves into 2-inch wide pieces, keeping the thicker white stems and leafy green parts slightly separated.
- Whisk the black vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat and add the dried chilis and Sichuan peppercorns, cooking until they are fragrant and the peppercorns start to darken.
- Add the minced garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds until aromatic, being careful not to burn it.
- Increase the heat to high and toss in the white cabbage stems, stir-frying for 2 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the green leafy parts of the cabbage and continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the leaves are just wilted but still bright.
- Pour the vinegar mixture around the edges of the pan so it sizzles, then toss everything together quickly to coat the vegetables.
- Season with a pinch of salt to taste and serve immediately while hot.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 190 kcal | 95.2 kcal |
| Protein | 6.01 g | 3.01 g |
| Water | 159 mL | 79.6 mL |
| Sodium | 549 mg | 275 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 18.7 g | 9.33 g |
| Total Fat | 12.2 g | 6.1 g |
| Sugar | 7.68 g | 3.84 g |
62 more nutrients
Carbohydrates
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Added Sugar | 1.68 g | 0.84 g |
Minerals
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 3.82 mg | 1.91 mg |
| Calcium | 441 mg | 220 mg |
| Magnesium | 86.3 mg | 43.2 mg |
| Potassium | 1,138 mg | 569 mg |
| Iodine | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 144 mg | 72.2 mg |
| Zinc | 1.06 mg | 0.53 mg |
| Chloride | 369 mg | 184 mg |
| Selenium | 4.32 mcg | 2.16 mcg |
| Copper | 0.14 mg | 0.07 mg |
| Fluoride | 0.011 mg | 0.006 mg |
| Manganese | 0.96 mg | 0.48 mg |
| Molybdenum | 0.15 mcg | 0.075 mcg |
| Chromium | 0.29 mcg | 0.15 mcg |
Fats
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.62 g | 0.81 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4.24 g | 2.12 g |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acids | 0.3 g | 0.15 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6.28 g | 3.14 g |
| Omega-6 Fatty Acids | 5.97 g | 2.99 g |
| DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) | 0.29 g | 0.14 g |
| Arachidonic Acid | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Medium-Chain Triglycerides | 0 g | 0 g |
| Omega-9 Fatty Acids | 3.1 g | 1.55 g |
Fibre
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 5.17 g | 2.59 g |
| Soluble Fiber | 1.73 g | 0.86 g |
| Insoluble Fiber | 4.26 g | 2.13 g |
Vitamins
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 185 mg | 92.4 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 320 mcg | 160 mcg |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.94 mg | 0.97 mg |
| Vitamin A | 103 mcg RAE | 51.3 mcg RAE |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.18 mg | 0.09 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.04 mg | 0.52 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.15 mg | 0.077 mg |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 0.49 mg | 0.24 mg |
| Vitamin E | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Vitamin K | 185 mcg | 92.6 mcg |
| Biotin (B7) | 2.04 mcg | 1.02 mcg |
| Beta-Carotene | 785 mcg | 393 mcg |
Others
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Choline | 34.1 mg | 17.1 mg |
| Leucine | 539 mg | 269 mg |
| Lysine | 347 mg | 174 mg |
| Polyphenols | 241 mg | 121 mg |
| Methionine | 99.3 mg | 49.6 mg |
| Oxalates | 83 mg | 41.5 mg |
| Threonine | 294 mg | 147 mg |
| Tryptophan | 94.1 mg | 47.1 mg |
| Valine | 408 mg | 204 mg |
| Flavonoids | 42.8 mg | 21.4 mg |
| Histidine | 258 mg | 129 mg |
| Lutein / Zeaxanthin | 0.33 mg | 0.16 mg |
| Lycopene | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Phenylalanine | 325 mg | 162 mg |
| Purines | 66.8 mg | 33.4 mg |
Proteins
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine | 359 mg | 180 mg |
Additives
| Nutrient | Per serving (200 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) | 74.8 mg | 37.4 mg |
Worked out from the ingredients with the GapPlate food library, per 100 g of the cooked dish. Estimates, not medical advice.
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