By Madeleine Greey (Originally published in The Toronto Star)
When Chinese New Year comes around, make yourself a culinary resolution that’s really worth keeping — get to know at least one new, weird and wonderful Chinese vegetable. Since Toronto offers several Chinatowns to choose from, it won’t take you long before you’re face to face with a lotus root, angled luffa
or chayote.
We’ve created a guide to help you enter the Year of the Dragon and keep that resolution. Astrologers say it will be an exciting, action-packed year full of prosperity. So put a few of those dragon dollars into your shopping cart and go beyond bok choy.
Angled Luffa
Also known as silk squash or Chinese okra, this member of the summer squash family is up to 10 inches long and has sharp, distinct ridges from head to toe. (Its kissing cousin- a smooth-skinned variety- is dried and sold as the actual luffa or bath-scrubber). Look for firm, not floppy angled luffa. Pare off the ridges, leave the peel on and treat like zucchini. It has a sweet, juicy flavour and spongy texture that absorbs the liquids it’s cooked in. Refrigerate wrapped in paper towels for 2-3 days.
Chayote
The Mandarin name for this is fo shou gua -or Buddha’s hand melon- since it resembles the clasped hands of a Buddha in prayer. But to most Westerners, it looks like a Granny Smith apple that someone sat on! You can eat it raw or cooked. Chayote are tricky to peel, since they are slippery and there’s a small, white edible seed lurking in the middle. Stir-fry with Chinese seasonings, sauté with fresh herbs and butter, or turn up a notch with Mexican flavours like lime juice, cilantro, salt and hot peppers. When shopping, look for taut, blemish-free skin and chayote that is heavy in the hand.
Daikon
This huge member of the radish family comes in two varieties, white or green. It’s usually about 10 inches long and 3-4 inches wide. Daikon is actually the Japanese name- its called lo bok in Cantonese. You can eat white daikon raw or cooked. It’s crisp and juicy with a sharp, mustardy flavour. Look for smooth, unblemished daikon that feels heavy in the hand. Refrigerate in a perforated bag in the crisper for up to a week. Grate it into a coleslaw (see East-West Slaw below), toss it into a stir-fry or try it in soup.
Jicama
As the name implies, this veggie is of Central American heritage, but has been part of the Asian culinary scene for over three centuries. It’s called sa kot in Cantonese and looks like a tan-skinned turnip that has been slightly flattened at both ends. When you peel off the inedible outer skin and fibrous under layer, you’ll discover a chalk-white, crisp and juicy flesh that tastes like water chestnut. Eat it raw or cooked, try it in a crudité, stir-fry it with meat and/or vegetables, put it in a salad or float it in soup.
Kohlrabi
While dubbed kohlrabi by the Germans, this veggie is loved by the Chinese, too. This peculiar vegetable looks more like a meteor than a candidate for the wok. It tastes like broccoli stems and can be eaten raw or cooked. Look for small kohlrabi, no wider than three inches in diameter. The skin is edible but most people prefer to peel it. Stir-fry it with shiitake mushrooms and oyster sauce, or stuff it with something savoury and steam until tender.
Lotus Root
Lotus root is traditionally served at Chinese New Year in a vegetarian dish consisting of 18 different vegetables. This bizarre looking veggie resembles an ivory-coloured link of sausages. Slice it diagonally to reveal a Swiss-cheese pattern of holes. Not surprisingly, lotus slices are a favourite garnish among chefs. It has a mild, sweet flavour and crisp texture. Look for firm lotus root with few dark blemishes. To prepare, wash well or peel. Discard the “necks” found between the sections. Eat it raw or cooked. Fresh lotus root will store for up to 10 days in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge crisper. Serve in salads, stir-fries or soups.
Long Beans
Also known as yard-long beans or asparagus beans, these three-foot long beans are more closely related to black-eyed peas than string beans. But for all culinary intents and purposes, treat them like the latter. Look for firm, thin beans with few dark spots and underdeveloped seeds. Trim off the stem ends and cut into 1-2 inch lengths. Stir-fry with black bean and garlic sauce for a delicious side-dish. To store, wrap in paper towels and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Wrapped Heart Mustard Cabbage
This odd-looking mustard green is prized for its heart, while the voluminous outer leaves are often discarded. In fact, most Chinese prefer to buy it pickled and canned. But the fresh McCoy offers up a delicious, sharp mustardy taste not unlike rapini or arugula (two of it’s Cruciferous Cousins). Look for perky, crisp greens and store it wrapped in paper towel in the crisper. Stir-fry this nutrient-rich green with ginger or try it in Chinese duck soup!
Taro
Large, betel nut taro and small, red-budded taro are the two varieties of taro most commonly found in Chinese grocery stores. Starchy like a potato, taro has a bland, sweet taste. Small taro is a popular Cantonese snack. First it’s baked or boiled in its skin, then peeled and dipped in either salt, soy sauce, tamari or even sugar. Large taro must be peeled. (Wear gloves for the hairy brown skin can cause an itchy reaction.) For texture’s sake, Chinese cooks deep-fry or pan-fry cubes of taro until crisp before adding to a stir-fry. Wu Gok is the name of a lacy, taro dumpling served in dim sum restaurants. Store these rhizomes in a dark, cool place with your potatoes. They’ll keep no more than a few days.
Winter Melon
Although this melon is harvested at summer, it’s traditionally eaten in winter. In fact, candied winter melon is a favourite at Chinese New Years. This humungus green melon usually weighs about 12 lbs but can rock the scales at 100 lbs. For convenience sake, it’s sold by the slice, revealing a white flesh and yellow seeds. Use within a day of purchase, for it deteriorates quickly and requires refrigeration. The subtle, clean taste of winter melon is enjoyed mostly in soups, whether it’s a Cantonese tonic soup consisting of barley, lotus seeds and herbs or in a banquet soup cooked and served in a carved winter melon.
Shrimp Roll
Makes 20 spring rolls
This recipe is adapted from Have Some Dim Sum by Toronto author Evelyn Chao (Hushion House, 1998). Chao has found memories of growing up in Hong Kong snacking on taro root and dining on dim sum.
1 (7 oz/200 g) pkg frozen small spring roll wrappers (6in/15 cm x 6 in/15 cm squares)
1 lb shrimp, shelled, cleaned and minced
4 tsp corn starch
2 tsp Chinese cooking wine or sherry
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup jicama match-sticks
1/2 cup carrot match sticks
1 tbsp flour
4 tsp water
Defrost spring roll wrappers for 30 minutes at room temperature. Once defrosted, cover with damp paper towels.
In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, cornstarch, wine, ginger, salt, sugar, sesame oil and pepper. Add jicama and carrots and mix well.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour and water to create a runny paste.
Working with one wrapper at a time, place 1 tablespoon of shrimp mixture near a corner. Using your fingertips, wet the opposite corner’s edges with the flour paste. Roll up half way, fold in the sides, then finish rolling to create 4-inch long rolls. Press to secure edges covered in flour paste. Repeat.
Heat 2 inches of oil to 350° F . Fry shrimp rolls in small batches for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest on paper towels.
Serve warm with hot mustard, soy or plum sauce.
East-West Slaw
Serves 4
This colourful cole slaw from my book, Get Fresh! surprises with a peppery finish, thanks to the addition of daikon radish. To smooth out the radish’s rough edges, I’ve dressed this salad with an Indonesian-style peanut sauce. If you’re in a rush, substitute the peanut sauce with a store-bought one.
Peanut Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup (200 mL)
1 tbsp canola oil 15 mL
1/4 cup minced shallots 50 mL
1 tbsp chopped garlic 15 mL
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes 2 mL*
2 tbsp soy sauce 25 mL
1 tbsp lime juice 15 mL
3 tbsp chunky peanut butter 45 mL
3 tbsp chicken stock or water 45 mL
1/4 cup coconut milk 50 mL
1 cup grated daikon radish 250 mL
2 cups grated carrots 500 mL
4 cups shredded red cabbage 1 L
1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
1 tsp rice vinegar 5 mL
Fresh coriander and chopped peanuts
To make the peanut sauce, in a frying pan at medium heat, heat the oil and sauté the shallots, garlic and hot pepper flakes for 3 minutes. Whisk in the soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, chicken stock or water, and coconut milk; simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the daikon, carrots and cabbage. Add the salt and rice vinegar and toss. Add the peanut sauce and toss until thoroughly mixed. Garnish with fresh coriander and chopped peanuts and serve.
* More if you like it hot!
Angled Luffa Squash Saute Serves 2
This quick and easy Western-style recipe is from Beyond Bok Choy by Rosa Lo San Ross (Artisan, 1996). This handy guide with its gorgeous photos is indispensable for anyone interested in expanding their Chinese vegetable repertoire. 2 angled luffa squash, trimmed and sliced into 1-inch thick slices 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp minced shallots 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper Pinch of sugar 1 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese In a frying pan, heat the butter and sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until the shallots are soft. Add the squash and continue cooking, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until squash is crisp but tender. Add the parsley, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook, stirring, another minute or two. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.