Spring has come and with it the abundance of wonderful veggies–asparagus, beans, root vegetables including onions and garlic. I had never really paid much attention to seasonal vegetables. We seem to get most produce year round. But after I helped…
Choy sum, cai xin
Choy sum is the Cantonese name of this popular Cantonese vegetable. In Mandarin it’s cai xin. A member of the mustard family, choy sum has tiny yellow flowers.…
Red date or jujube
We call it red date, hong zao, but it isn’t date. It’s jujube fruit. While on the tree, the fruit is green and as it ripens it turns red and…
Gailan
Gailan, known as Chinese broccoli, is from the broccoli family. It has white flowers but the favored part of the vegetable is its stalk. Young tender gailan (pictured first) is…
Chinese sausage
This particular Chinese sausage is Cantonese lap cheung, which is one of the most popular cured meats. This one is made of pork, but there are also liver sausages. Lap…
Guan Miao Noodles
Kuan miao, guan miau, or guan miao–they are the same noodle with its name transliterated differently. These noodles are from Taiwan and used in soup or fried noodles. Made with…
Chinese dried mushroom
Dried Chinese mushroom or dried shiitake has a distinct, rich, bold flavor. These are such prized ingredients that beautifully selected mushrooms are packaged and sold as gift items, popular gifts…