|
CHINESE LEAVES
Mandarin : Da Baicai; Huang Ya Bai
There
are almost as many names for this member of the brassica family as there are ways of cooking
it. To the Westerners, it is more commonly known as Chinese Leaves, but it is also known as
Chinese cabbage, Napa cabbage or celery cabbage. The alternative Chinese name translate this
vegetable as "yellow-sprouting-white", a description of the crinkled leaves. The Cantonese
however, call it Peking or Tianjin cabbage in honor of its northern origin.
aroma & flavor..
Available all year round, Chinese leaves are found in abundance mainly from November through
to April, it is considered a cool-season vegetable. There are three common varieties which
all look similar, but differ in length, width and tightness of the leaves.
Chinese leaves have a delicate sweet aroma with a mild cabbage flavor that disappears
completely when the vegetable is cooked. The white stalk has a crunchy texture, and it
remains succulent even after prolong cooking.
culinary uses..
This
is a very versatile vegetable and it cab be used in stir-fries, stews, soups or salads. It
will absorb the flavor of any other ingredients with which it is cooked - be they fish of
shellfish, poultry, meat or with other vegetables - and yet retain it's own characteristic
flavor and texture. In Asian or Chinese restaurants, braised Chinese leaves are often served
as a flavorsome base for roasted meat of duck.
preparation & cooking techniques..
Discard the outer layer or leaves and trim off the root, then slice off as much as you need.
Should you wish to wash the leaves ( and this is strictly not necessary unless you are using
them in a salad ), do so before cutting them, otherwise you will wash away much of the
vitamins. If you stir-fry the Chinese leaves in hot oil, the stalks often develop dark
scorch marks. Restaurant chefs blanch the vegetable in boiling stock, which actually enhance
the flavor, before frying.
storing Chinese Leaves..
Chinese leaves can be stored for a long time without losing their resilience. Keep them in
the salad compartment of the refrigerator and they will stay relatively fresh for up to 10 -
12 days. Don't worry if there are tiny black specks on the leaves as this is quite normal
and will not do any harm.
|
| VISIT OUR
WEBLOG