Oriental Vegetables ListKai-Lan - related to the Broccoli, also called Gai-Lan, Chinese Broccoli, Chinese Kale. It has buds similar to the Broccoli, with large leaves. Baby Kai-Lan & Kai-Lan.
Bak-Choy - Bai-Cai, Chinese Cabbage
two types:
the
Napa Cabbage/Pekinensis(Beijing) Cabbage/ Da Bai Cai which are used in Kimchi, Light yellow to green in color. Broad leaves wrapped in cylindrical formation.
Taiwan Cabbagethe Cai-Xin/
Xiao Bai Cai/ Pak choi /Chinensis/Chinese Mustard, Green leafy vegetable with broad leaves not wrapped together.
Red Cabbage - a sort of cabbage, often red or blue to purple in color, depending of the PH of the soil its grown in. 'Red Kraut' or 'Blue Kraut'. It can be eaten raw or cooked, uncooked - used in salads.
Yu Choy - similar to the Cai Xin with thinner stalks
Watercress - in the family of Cabbage. Its often used in sandwiches. noted for its many health benefits as its believed to aid in digestion, provide anti-oxidants and posses cancer-suppressing properties especially for lung cancer.
Spinach - noted for its higher content in calcium & iron than other vegetables. Savoy (with curly leaves), Flat (broad leaves, easier to clean), semi-Savoy (slightly crinkly curl leaves). related to the
Chard, Orache & Good King Henry. Not recommended to be kept and reheated as poisonous substances are formed for high
nitrate foods.
Reheating spinach leftovers may cause the formation of poisonous compounds by certain bacteria that thrive on prepared nitrate-rich foods, such as spinach and many other green vegetables, converting Nitrates into Nitrites.
Sodium nitrites are used to preserve food such as cured meats in sausages & bacon, it keeps color,. Nitrate is harmless, but it can convert to nitrite, which can form nitrosamines which, when combined with broken down proteins (
amino acids). its a
Carcinogen, an agent involved in the promotion of cancer.
Water Spinach - KangKong (in Tagalog) / Kang Kung (in Malay), Tung Choi (in Cantonese), Kong Xin Cai (in Chinese). It grows in water or moist ground therefore the hollow in stems. Chinese, Indonesian, Penang crusine - fried with minced garlic, stir-fried with
belacan/shrimp paste or cantonese style, with preserved beancurd (fu ru).
Scallions - also known as Green Onions,Spring Onions.
Shallots & Onions - cong1(mandarin) The shallot is a relative of the onion, and tastes a bit like an onion but has a sweeter, milder flavor.
Celery -
Cucumber Family:
Zucchini - also known as Zucca, the zucchini can be yellow, green or light green, and generally has a similar shape to a ridged cucumber, though a few cultivars are available that produce round or bottle-shaped fruit.
Gherkin - a young cucumber often pickled in vinegar.
Squash- Other species of Squash is the Pumpkin & Zucchini. For asia, its the
Oriental Squash /
Summer Squash which is different from
Winter Squash., or
KabochaEggplant - also called the Brinjal.
Pumpkin gourd-like squash of the cucumber family. usually orange, yellow or some green, red & gray. the color of pumpkins come from lutein & both alpha & beta carotene making it a good source of Vit A. When ripe, it can be boiled, baked, steamed or roasted or in soups. Its taste is sweet and often used in deserts. -
Ways to clean & cook Pumpkin., Recipe for a
Pumpkin PieKabocha - Similar to the Yellow Squash in color and flavor, its a smaller version of the Winter Squash.
Turnips - High source of Vitamins such as vit C, Folate, Calcium and Dietary Fiber. relative of the Radish & Mustard.
Radish - comes in many varieties, colors and sizes.
Chinese Radish or the
Daikon (in japan). Use the daikon for kimchi.
Shiitake - Xiang Gu, Hua Gu. Noted for souces of Proteins, Vit D (dried shiitake has more vit D), medicinal properties such as anti-viral, cure allergies, anti-tumor properties. it also possibly inhibit
Thrombosis. Used in miso soup (japan), bulgogi (marinated grilled beef), jjigae (stews), namul (sauteed vegetable dishes) (korea). Dried shiitake have lower amounts of
umami (meaning 'savoriness', the 5th 'taste' to the 4 basic tastes - sweet, sour, salty & bitter.)
-- do note that after consuming more than 3 shiitake mushrooms, everything that comes out of you will smell like it. so will asparagus.
Asparagus - 10 to 15cm, with flower-like bud, its leaves wrapped together around the stem. comes in 3 varieties of Spru, White & Purple asparagus. 'low in calories, contains no fat or cholesterol, and is very low in sodium. It is a good source of folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber, and
rutin.' Rutin strengthens the capillaries therefore aid in preventing vericous veins, its also an anti-oxidant. Its diuretic therefore aid in treating urinal infections.
cooking methods: its sir-fried with all meats or wrapped in beef(cantonese & US), used in soups,
broiled over a grill. in french cooking its boiled and served with white sauces, butter.
read
Asparagus in all its glory for some nice recipes to do with asparagus.
Bell Pepper /Capsicum - 'sweet pepper', 'capsicum' as they are commonly called. This Bell shaped fruit comes in colors of Red, Green, Orange & Yellow, it belongs to the family of
Capsicum. With taste varying from where they were produced. Bell peppers are a great source of vitamin C. Green bell peppers have about 50% more vitamin C than navel oranges by weight, and red bell peppers have about twice as much
Spices:Wu Xiang - Five Spice Powder, used in chinese cooking to provide five flavors, consisting of
Chinese Cinnamon ,
cassia buds (which is also cinnamon),
star anise, powdered
anise, ginger root, ground cloves.
there are many types of cinnamon, different for each country, different levels of flavor.
cloves - brown in color, stalk-like buds, often used in Indian crusine -
Biryani, there's quite a write up on its medicinal usage & toxicity when over consumed.
Cumin - 'koo-min'. similar to
fennel seeds in appearance, but are smaller and darker in colour. distint aroma due to its natural oils. has a warm flavor which brings out the sweetness in curries & salsa, also a main ingredient in chilli powders. The leaves are also used as Herbs.
Bay Leaf - its aroma is similar to Oregano & Thyme. somewhat herbal & floral scented. used in Biryani (Indian), Stews, Soups (USA),
Bouillon (French). Best crushed before adding to food for better aroma.
Paprika - a spice made from dried sweet red peppers (bell pepper) added to cooking for aroma & taste. most common is the Hungarian paprikas which are mildest and brightest red of all , with excellent aroma. Mostly sold at stores with mild to hot paprikas. High in vit C especially in sun-dried red peppers, anti-bacterial properties aiding in normalizing blood pressure, blood circulation, aid in the production of saliva & digestion.
Herbs:Fennel - a herb, highly aromatic & flavorful, used in many dishes. its flavor being similar to anise. the bulb, seeds and foliage are used, leaves being less fragrant than the seeds. Salads, Pastas & Risotto for Italian cooking.
Basil - its flavor somewhat like the anise, strong pungent sweet smell. most fragrant when fresh rather than dried or cooked. Medicinal properties, basil oil have potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-microbial and also decrease occurance of
thrombosis, similar to the shiitake mushrooms.
Oregano -
Thyme - used in soups, stews, with meats, especially lamb, eggs & tomatoes. Leaves are used Fresh, Powdered or Dried, fresh being the most flavorful. as it takes a longer time to release flavors, its added early during cooking. added to teas, herb benefits for respiratory infections(inhale) and when boiled and gargled, to clear throat inflammations. Many varieties of Thyme, English thyme being the most common.
Bay Leaf - slight bitter taste, fragrant when cooked, aroma is similar to thyme & oregano.
Sage - slight peppery flavor, added to meats. toxic when consumed over long periods of time.
Others:Whole Grain - consists a mixture of grains which still have the bran, endosperm & germ retained. Whole-meal are products made from whole grain flour. "whole wheat," "wholemeal," or "whole corn" means the food is made from whole grains. other terms with 'Bromate' & 'enriched' means the food is not completely made from whole grains.
Rolled Oats - an oat grain with its outer husk removed, leaving the gout which is edible but still has a hard bran layer. its then steam treated and flattened to give a flat flake. There's quick & instant oatmeals which are terms for oatmeals that have been chopped into smaller pieces so they dissolve and cook faster. 'Oats are an excellent source of thiamine, iron, and dietary fiber.' It also contains antioxidants.
Flax - known as Flax seed or Linseed. commercially used are Flaxseed or Linseed Oil and Flax Seed itself. Flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids & lignans that are good for the heart, have high absorbency and full of fiber but when over consumed, can cause diarrhea.
Quinoa - edible seeds grown in crops. light and fluffy when cook, it has a slight nutty taste, an alternative to white rice. often soaked before cooking by boiling in water. a good combination of amino acids, good source of dietary fiber, is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.
Split Pea - often mistaken as the Indian Dahl. comes in Yellow & Green. they are split to cook faster.
Dahl - or Daal/ Indian Dahl, Lentils.
Chickpea - Garbanzo
Monosodium Glutamate -
glutamates-flavor enhancer, MSG.
Wikipedia list of herbs & spicesWhite Sauce / Bechamel - used to dress food, its white and creamy. really easy to make and can be used for meats, vegetables, seafood. its just equal portions of flour & butter, warm milk over a small flame, stirring constantly. if the flame is too hot or you stir it too slow, you end up with coagulation to some lump of cooked batter.
recipe with variations of cream, parsley, pepper..,
Balsamella (in Italian), step by step guideorigins in french cooking. its also the basic recipe for many sauces used in pasta, pizzas,lasagne.
Difference Between Baking Soda & Baking PowderCheeses-this is not vegan but lacto-vegetarian.
CheddarCheesesProcessed CheesePizza Cheese - created specially for pizzas to have a stretchy texture, same as mozzarella but without further processing methods other than the basic cheemaking stepsMozzarellaGouda Cheese - wrapped in red wax, this is my dad's cheese. he always had it in the fridge.
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Vegan Cooking Chinese Vegetables RecipesVegetarian Recipes, step by step guide with Anna MariaVegan recipes @ World Health FoodsVegan Chocolate Mousse -
Video guide of making tofu chocolate mousse or
Rich Fudgy Vegan Dessert made with Soft TofuButternut Squash Casserole