A quick look at some popular Asian veggies
IF we walk through the Sibu Central Market, a wet market in Kuching, or even some of the supermarkets today, we would likely spot various herbs and vegetables that could be quite new to us.
I have often been puzzled and wondered how to cook some of the items. Stallholders are often asked by customers if what they are selling is good for health.
Many are traditionally used by a particular group for various purposes but unknown to others.
There are also interesting new varieties of imported vegetables that we should get familiar with. This week, let me introduce some special ones for general information. Chrysanthemum leaves Edible Chrysanthemum coronarium come in broad-leafed – round-edged leaves fanning out from long stalks, and small-leafed varieties – smaller and more deeply-serrated leaves.
Both have a soft but resilient texture and are succulent after cooking. The small petals of the flowers are usually yellow.
Always look for fresh greens with firm and juicy stems. In Asian cooking, the leaves are used in soups and steamboat dishes. Very young leaves are eaten raw or blanched and used in salads.
They can also be stir fried, used for tempura, or just steamed. They go well with sesame oil and paste, as well as roasted garlic. The leaves are also used to wrap meat and rice in Korea. Burdock This is a fairly new root to us locally, but is getting more and more popular. Arctium lappa comes from the sunflower family. The roots grow up to one metre in length but are sold in manageable lengths of around two feet.
Choose those no bigger than three centimetres in diameter. The skin ranges from dark beige to tan, and the root resembles a parsnip.
It is peeled for the inner meaty content, which has a cream colour and is sticky when sliced.
It will darken when exposed to air. Soaking in water or vinegar may delay the process. It is said there is no need to peel the skin as the flavour is just beneath the skin, so brushing and cleaning will do before cooking.
Burdock has the sweetness of a carrot but is not as versatile. Its flavour is like that of an artichoke. In Chinese medicine, burdock is considered a detoxifying food that dissipates heat.
It contains insulin, in a soluble form, that tastes slightly sweet but has no effect on sugar levels. Do try it if you haven’t yet. Wasabi Wasabi is normally eaten with fish or lamb. It comes from rhizomes that grow up to 20 centimetres long and three centimetres in diameter.
It has a ridged and knobby greenish-brown skin. Beneath the skin is light green flesh that fades to white in the core. Wasabi can be bought with a few heart-shaped leaves showing its freshness.
Interestingly it requires cold and clean running water as a growing environment, so real wasabi is expensive to produce.
Many fake products in paste or powder form, which are mainly horseradish spiked with food colouring, can be found in the market. Real wasabi is pale apple green with miniscule dark flecks while the fake wasabi is an oddly vivid green.
Real wasabi has a light, floral flavour that slowly turns into a soft heat and fades away over a few seconds. In Japan, it is reduced to a fine puree on a rough grater and eaten uncooked.
The volatile fragrance of fresh wasabi is maintained by wrapping it in damp paper towels before being stored in the refrigerator.
Wasabi’s pungency comes from the compound known as isothiocyanate, which has medicinal properties such as antimicrobial power.
Hence eating it with raw fish eating is beneficial. It is also known for treating tooth decay, controlling blood clots, and said to prevent cancer.
Do send me an email if you have questions, comments, or suggestions. Happy gardening.