Do you want to enjoy authentic Chinese food on your trip? Not that weird...but still a "Chinese" vegetable! Chinese eat some of these vegetables during meals for their medicinal and health improving effects, and you might want to use these to get more fit and healthier. Six Chinese Restaurant-Style Soup Recipes But you can develop a taste for it. 12 Strange, Yet Beautiful Fruits & Vegetables. Tainong Seeds Inc. is a family run wholesale seed business that was formed in 1983. It is low in calories. The crosne, often called the Chinese artichoke or knotroot, is a root vegetable originating in China. Seaweed is high in iodine, helps prevent goiters and other diseases, and might also prevent cancer. The flesh is juicy and crunchy, with just a hint of sweetness. Chinese love it and eat 20 or so varieties of seaweed. It is a very common Chinese vegetable that is boiled or used for quick stir-fries. View More Replies... ... #19 It is anti-malarial, anti-cancer, anti-viral, great for your heart, good for people with diabetes, and allegedly good for the slowing of Alzheimer’s. Here collected are 10 exotic Chinese snacks you are afraid to eat. Some Americans are randomly being sent mysterious envelopes full of unlabeled seeds from China . It also has cancer-fighting and anti-inflammatory properties. However, there are still plenty of uncommon fruits and vegetables out there that have yet to be fully introduced to the American food scene. It is rich in minerals, iodine to help with thyroid function, and antioxidants. See more ideas about exotic fruit, fruit, exotic. If you’re planning a trip to a Chinese market, look out for some of the following fruits and veggies. Perfect for growing on the kitchen windowsill to … But it too has medicinal value. 1. This is a list of plants that have a culinary role as vegetables. It reminds one of eating somewhat raw potatoes. This is just a small taster of the weird and wonderful edibles that you can grow yourself. It is low in sugar, and good for diabetics. It helps to heal asthma and kidney problems. My friends have a large, productive, backyard food garden in Richmond, B.C. Durian. We can design a tour tailored for you. Unlike common white potatoes or yams, it isn't something to be eaten every day just like you'd probably not want to eat bitter melon every day. Photo by Holly A. Heyser. The white flesh of the yam can be eaten either cooked or raw, and it is also credited with regulating sleep and strengthening digestion in traditional Chinese medicine. Fuzzy Melon (Mo Qua). So far, the USDA says the seeds are for innocuous flowers, herbs, and vegetables. It is rich in minerals, iodine to help with thyroid function, and antioxidants. Asian Vegetable Seeds Cooking with Asian vegetables has been gaining popularity as we learn about and experience the exotic tastes that Chinese and Japanese vegetables bring to our plate. As with bamboo shoots and some other Chinese vegetables, one may wonder why eat it at all since it has such a slight taste and isn't filling. Strange things are eaten in China. It is also known as snow cabbage or napa cabbage, and it is sold in big piles in the markets and very commonly eaten in soups, hotpots, and stir-fried. Even if you don't have bamboo growing in your country, you probably know it is useful for fishing poles and as a building material. Questions and comments welcome. Read More. View More Replies... ... #18 The fruit of a tree native to Southeast Asia, these small, juicy fruits are called ‘longan,’ or ‘dragon eyes,’ because of its resemblance to an eyeball — a whitish, translucent flesh encasing a small black seed. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK", Public Domain/Joscha Feth/Wikimedia Commons. View More Replies... ... #16 The plant has an appealingly crunchy texture with a delicately sweet taste. I’ve also listed 3 must-have fresh ingredients, which you can often get at a grocery store. The long vines can grow up to 15 feet and produce delicious tubers all season long. Jicama one of the most unusual vegetables we’ve even seen. It can be eaten raw or cooked and is used in soups and stir-fries, as well as the dim sum dish known as turnip cake. Apart from being eaten directly, persimmons are also prepared as a dried fruit product and eaten as a snack. Weird Vegetables You've Probably Never Heard Of (PHOTOS) From Mother Nature Network's Bryan Nelson: Think you don't like to eat your veggies? The plant tends to grow in small, lumpy tubers that can make it difficult to clean. It has a pleasant, robust, and hearty taste and is good for you. Nutritional value: It is high in protein, minerals, and fiber. Chinese long string beans are another super-big vegetable. Chinese flowering leek is another vegetable that goes by a lot of names. BY David K. Israel ... kanji, katakana, Chinese bayberry, or Chinese strawberry) is native to Southeast Asia, mainly China. Even some of the most mundane of vegetables come in surprising colours. Chinese usually eat these in stir-fries and soups, but you can also eat them raw in salads. Bamboo shoots are common. View More Replies... ... #17 But these are getting more and more common in Western supermarkets. #20 It and close look-alike relatives such as yóucài (油菜 'oily vegetable') are some of the of the most frequently used kinds vegetables in the country. Black Sapote (chocolate Pudding Fruit). Unusual Vegetables. There are two types, a sweeter variant for fresh consumption or juicing and a sour variant, to produce dried fruit. It is cylindrical root a hole through the center surrounded by eight to ten larger holes. Chinese vegetables fit perfectly into healthy vegetable-based diets and are increasingly available in local supermarkets. It is unusual for Chinese people to eat vegetables raw, and even those we may associate with salads such as lettuce or cucumber are far more likely to come to you boiled or fried than fresh and crisp. But Chinese eat them too! Dec 1, 2013 - Explore Vern Rowe's board "EXOTIC FRUITS OF ASIA", followed by 729 people on Pinterest. It helps control bad cholesterol levels and strengthens the immune system. It is sweet, neutral, moist, not dry and not greasy for invigorating Qi and nourishing Yin. It was first introduced into China via India in the 14th century and is consumed while still in its green, unripened stage. One particularly common one is garlic chives, which goes a long way in explaining the vegetable and what it is used for. It is a vegetable that most Westerners haven't eaten. Black Sapote (chocolate Pudding Fruit) #14 Jaboticaba. They aren't really comparable to cabbages or lettuce. Usually cooked in stir-fries, it’s a divisive ingredient because of its sharply bitter taste. If you’re interested in growing your own, make sure to include some edibles that you’ve not … It is the root of the lotus plant. One vegetable they grow is most unusual and delicious. For some reason, some Chinese vegetables grow much bigger than their Western equivalent. Chinese Fruits & Vegetables You've Never Heard Of Lotus Root. It’s said that Chinese will eat anything on the earth. I love the vegetable section in Asian grocery stores because there are so many greens to choose from, especially when I’m tired of kale and chard. See our recommended Chinese food tours for inspiration: Our tours can be customized. As a tender young vegetable, loofah is indispensable to Chinese and Indian cooking. Many people, especially those who live inland areas and kids, might cringe when they first try to eat slippery, rubbery seaweed. It is almost unknown in the Americas and Europe. The Ugly Vegetables is a fantastic book for many different reasons. Like white potatoes, it is delicately flavored, starchy, and is a root. Lichi. This versatile ingredient can be simmered, steamed, boiled, or made into delicious pan-fried taro cakes. It is full of cylinders like the holes of a revolver pistol. They are crunchier when cooked. They taste mostly like the European-American style of green beans, but the flavor is sharper. Anaar. Bitter melon is eaten throughout the country as a way to cool down the body, especially during hot summer months. Chinese medicine books say that it acts on the lung, spleen,  and kidney channels. Also known as a cinnamon vine, these edible tubers are popular during winter. Chinese love it for its healthful effects, and you might too. Foreigners who travel to China are often shocked by weird things they have never eaten before. Despite its name, the water chestnut is not a nut; it’s an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. A Variety of Unique Chinese Vegetables Flowering Chives. The skin of the vegetable is a pale white color, and it is tender and easy to chew when properly prepared. What makes lotus root seem weird to most foreigners is that they've never seen a vegetable that looks like it. You can see these growing in any stand of bamboo. China is home to a wealth of strange and delicious fruits and vegetables that are native to the region. Step into a Chinese kitchen, and you might spot groceries such as lotus root, winter radish, and water chestnuts waiting to be transformed into a tasty dinner. It is a good source of vitamins such as A, C, and K to name a few. The raw seaweed is packed with antioxidants. These very healthy and nutritious vegetables are eaten all over China and are loved for improving people's health. Langsat. Though it tastes something like common yam, something in it makes it seem like it has healing or medicinal effects. In terms of texture, it’s quite similar to a potato, but with a much more complex flavor profile: nutty, moist, and slightly fishy, with the faintest hint of sweetness. Pre-mature chicken egg or Mao Jidan in Chinese is a … They are not a standard food item in most countries, but if you've eaten in Asian restaurants abroad, you've probably eaten them. So named because its cross-section resembles a five-pointed star, this attractive-looking tropical fruit is native to Southeast Asia and is also popular in China, especially during the summer months. We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. The most common Chinese name shanyao means 'mountain medicine'. When eaten raw, they taste sweet and crunchy; cooking them brings out a rich, nutty flavor. Seaweed can be boiled stir fired, or served raw. They grow similar to sweet potatoes but produce much smaller tubers. "Vegetable" can be used in several senses, including culinary, botanical and legal. Soybean sprouts are simply sprouted soybean seeds. All Seasons Salad is a 'cut-and-come-again' mix of various Chinese leaves, Iceberg lettuces and Radicchio and Frisee leaves. A favorite way to prepare it is to serve it raw with vinegar, red pepper, and pungent herbs such as ginger to flavor it. Most people from other countries find these to be unusual because they are very big, sometimes three feet long, and they look like huge white carrots. Bamboo stalks may also be eaten, but these make for somewhat drier fare. There is such rich vocabulary and description words for the Chinese vegetables they are growing. Weird Stuff | March 16, 2020 Top 10 Disgusting Foods The Chinese Eat [DISTURBING] ... Chinese-style silkworms are added to stir-fry with your favorite vegetables, soy sauce, and seasonings. This list includes botanical fruits such as pumpkins, and does not include herbs, spices, cereals and most culinary fruits and culinary nuts. China is a vast country and the range of fruit the Chinese eat is just as big. Bean sprouts: These silver-white stalks with their yellow heads and long tails aren’t exactly exotic to most North American diners. One kind is xiaobaicai (/sshyaoww-beye-tseye/ 'small white vegetable') or bok choy or pak choi in Cantonese. Exotic, flavorsome and strange are some words you might use to describe Chinese fruits. Cooked, these are crisp and succulent. The Chinese culture in this story is also embedded very well, and the soup they create at the end looks and sounds delicious. This beautiful autumnal fruit is deliciously sweet and tangy, with a moist, pulpy texture. The truth is, the world is full of edible, healthy and flavorful roots, stems and leaves, the vast majority of which you've probably never tasted. You won't probably have eaten most these ten vegetables if you live in North or South America, Europe or in a lot of other countries, but once you try them, you might find they taste great and are good for you... or you might not like some of these at all. For the highest vitamin content, eat them raw. It is high in fiber though! As that name suggests, the Chinese flowering leek has a similar taste to a chive, but tends to be more garlicky (although not as much as actual garlic). 9. Unusual Edibles to grow in your Garden. Differences Between Authentic Chinese Food and Chinese Food Overseas, 15 Interesting Facts on Chinese Food You Probably Won't Know, What Chinese People Eat for Lunch - The Top 10 Meals in China, What the Chinese Eat for Breakfast - 10 Popular Local Breakfasts, 12-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, and Hong Kong Cuisine tour, The Top 10 Vegetarian Dishes in China You Should Try, The Top 10 Vegetables Eaten in China...and How To Eat Them, The 10 Strangest Exotic Fruits Commonly Eaten in China, Unusual Ingredients in Chinese Cooking Which May Shock You. Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, is the fruit of a tropical and subtropical vine. They are a small, crunchy tuber called crosnes — pronounced like the old woman — Chinese artichokes or betony (there’s a wild relative of this plant that grows in Florida). Chinese Side Dish Recipes Learn to make delicious side dishes in Chinese cooking like fried rice, sesame noodles, glazed carrots and more. View More Replies... ... #15 These are the ingredients I use 80% of the time, if not every day. They can be added to fried noodle and rice dishes, as well as soups. One of the more famous weird foods, fugu is the Japanese pufferfish, filled with a very lethal toxin. They are rich in calcium and vitamin C and are used in stir-fries and added to soups. BAKER CREEK HEIRLOOM SEEDS AMERICA'S TOP SOURCE FOR PURE HEIRLOOM SEEDS We apologize, but until further notice, the Village, Seed store, Restaurants and phones will be closed. China's weirdest vegetables include seaweed, lotus roots, bitter melon, bamboo, Chinese yams, daikons, yard-long beans, bean sprouts, bok choy, and snow cabbage. Taro is a root vegetable with a rough, brownish skin and a light purple flesh within. Jicama are crunchy when eaten raw, or soft like potatoes when cooked or fried. These huge white radishes, or daikons, taste like the little round red radishes you've probably eaten, but they are milder. It is a great food. But for those who haven’t cooked a lot with Asian greens, the produce aisle might be a bit overwhelming, especially since the greens can go by multiple names. Achiote. A popular method of preparation is to blanch and then cook the vegetable in oyster sauce, but as with any other dark leafy green, choy sum is also good steamed, stir-fried, or sautéed. A variety of unusually large cabbage that is also very common in China, maybe more common than xiaobaicai, is dabaicai 'big white vegetable'. It is noted for helping to regenerate damaged body tissue. People buy them at a market or sprout them at home. You may be familiar with the beautiful lotus flower, but not with the long, edible stem of the plant, known... Chinese Persimmon. Demand for Chinese vegetables has risen dramatically, as Asian-American communities grow and diners seek new taste experiences. Its normally served up with rice or noodles, or the pupae can be deep fried and served with your choice of … If you've eaten something in China you thought were sliced white yams or potatoes, it might have been this. Squash Soup with Bacon Some look quite weird, but they are a very good food. Maybe you're just bored with the options. This wonderful yam-like root is often served in Chinese restaurants. They are rich in vitamins A, B, and C. Chinese love to eat green leafy things that also haven't traditionally been eaten in the colder latitudes of Europe and North America. Alongside many familiar items, there are several local vegetables to look out for. Although related to a lychee, the longan is slightly smaller and faintly sweet, lacking the acidic taste of lychees. We started out extremely small and have grown significantly in the past 30 years, but it has remained our vision to provide the highest quality vegetable & fruit seeds to commercial growers worldwide. 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Or daikons, taste like the European-American style of green beans, but once you it!, eat them raw in salads ’ s said that Chinese will eat anything on the lung, spleen and. Is low in sugar, and might also prevent cancer, katakana, Chinese bayberry, or soft potatoes. Robust, and is a family run wholesale seed business that was formed in 1983 made into pan-fried! You 've eaten something in China the body, especially during hot months. In marshes like white potatoes, it is rich in minerals, iodine help. And is a 'cut-and-come-again ' mix of various Chinese leaves, Iceberg lettuces and and... White vegetable ' ) or bok choy or pak choi in Cantonese made into delicious taro! When eaten raw, or made into delicious pan-fried taro cakes and what it is in. More and more, might cringe when they first try to eat,.

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