Vegetables of
China
Prepared for students in
Ethnobotany in China,
a Study Abroad course at
Eastern Illinois University
taught by
Gordon C. Tucker and Zhiwei Liu
Chinese Vegetables
• Part 2
• Asteraceae
through
Mushrooms
Asteraceae
• Includes artichoke,
lettuce, thistle,
and sunflower
• Also several Asian
vegetables and
herbs, such as
safflower and
burdock
Chrysanthemum
greens
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Chrysanthemum coronarium
Mandarin: Tong hao cai
Cantonese: Tong ho choy
Used as an herbal medicine and as a
cooked vegetable combined with other
vegetables and in various stir-fried
dishes.
• An annual eaten at the seedling stage
when it is not more than 20 cm high.
Leaves are succulent with a light silvery
tinge and broadly serrated edges. The
related species, C. cinerariifolium is the
source of insecticide powder.
Lettuce,
Lactuca sativa
• Lettuce is an ancient
species.
• The wild ancestors are not
known with certainty;
Lactuca serriola is a
possibility.
• Cultivated before 4500 B.C.
in Egypt.
• The Romans ate tossed
salads with leafy lettuces.
Sheng-cai (生菜, Lettuce)
• On important days such as
Chinese New Year in January
or February, many families
have Sheng-cais at their
celebration dinners and
bundle them with red
strings to honor their
ancestors.
• Why? Because Sheng-cai
vegetable is pronounced the
same as "making money" in
Chinese. Therefore it is
considered a symbol of
hopeful goodwill and
fortune for Chinese people.
Chinese cultivars of lettuce resemble
Romaine lettuce, rather than leaf or iceberg
Celtuce 莴苣
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Chinese Lettuce
Stem Lettuce
Asparagus Lettuce
woh sun
Edible stalk lettuce
• Much of China's crop goes into
Shanghai pickles, called "lettuce
pickles" in Chinese groceries.
Celtuce
莴苣
• Stem Lettuce
• One of several
cultivars
grown in China
Vegetable Market in Jishou, Hunan
Solanaceae • Nightshade Family
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tomatoes
potatoes
chili peppers
goji berries
eggplant
• Yes, the Chinese eat
tomatoes
• large tomatoes and
cherry tomatoes are
common
• they are eaten fresh
or used in sauces or
stir-fry
Tomatoes
Tomatoes in a vegetable
market in Jishou, Hunan
Potato
Solanum tuberosum
Solanaceae
• native to South America
• introduced to China in
the late 1500’s
• China is now the world’s
largest producer of
potatoes
• potatoes are most often
shredded or sliced and
used in stir fries
Potatoes with
long beans, green
beans, carrots,
eggplants,
melons, and other
local vegetables,
at a market in
Jishou, Hunan
Province
Eggplants
• native to India
• widely
cultivated in
China
• most often
used in stir
fries
Eggplant and long bean, served in Changsha
Red pepper
Capsicum species
• cayenne and chili peppers (hot)
• pimiento and bell peppers (mild)
• native to South America,
cultivated for at least 6000 years
• introduced to China in the 1500’s
and so thoroughly incorporated
in Chinese cuisine, that some
people might think they were
native to Asia!
Hot Chili Peppers in a Vegetable Market in Hunan, China
Sweet Peppers (Bell peppers)
• both red and green
bell peppers are
commonly used in
stir fries in China
• usually they are
mixed with other
vegetables,
occasionally served
alone
Cucurbitaceae -Gourd Family
• Herbaceous vines with
tendrils.
• Combine these features with
a palmate pattern of leaf
lobing and venation and you
have, just using vegetative
characters, a well marked
family.
• at right, young cucumber
plants in Changsha, Hunan
Cucumbers
• Commonly sliced
and used in stir fry
• Small varieties
often eaten whole
as snacks
Bitter melon
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Momordica charantia
Other names: bitter gourd, bitter
cucumber, foo gwa
Characteristics: With deep grooves
and a bumpy texture, this green
melon is unlike most melons known
in the Western hemisphere.
If eaten in an unripe state, it lives up
to its name. Allowed to ripen, the
interior gains a lovely reddish hue
and it has a sweeter flavor.
Grown in tropical regions
throughout the world, the melon's
bitterness (due to small amounts of
quinine) is an acquired taste.
Luffa acutangula, Ridged Gourd
• Si Gua, Loofah, Lufah
• Vine with dark green
leaves and yellow flowers.
• Fruits have white, fragrant
flesh, used in stir-fried
dishes or soup.
• Round Lufa (Luffa cylindrica)
Similar use. Mature fruits are
processed and used as a bath or
kitchen sponges.
Winter Melon
• Benincasa hispida
• Popular in China and
southeastern Asia
• Can grow up to 60 cm long and
40 cm across
• Can weigh 10 kg
• Winter melon soup
• Served in a scooped-out wintermelon shell,
• A sweet soup often served at
large Chinese gatherings, such
as weddings
Watermelon is often served at
the conclusion of a meal.
Miscellaneous Plant Families
Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae)
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Fan Shu (Mandarin)
Fun-Shu (Cantonese)
A trailing herbaceous
perennial rooting from
the nodes. Many
varieties are cultivated
for their tuberous roots
or edible leaves.
The leaves cooked with
various seasonings, and chili
form a tasty dish.
Sweet Potato
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The plant is native to tropical America,
having been cultivated there for
centuries. It spread to the Pacific
Islands and then to Asia. It was known
in southern China by the mid 1500’s.
The root tubers are usually boiled
steamed, or stir-fried. They are sweet
in taste owing to the presence of
sugars, the quality of which is
increased by boiling or baking.
However, starch is the main
constituent and flour can be prepared
from the tubers. They are nutritious,
with about twice as much protein as
white potatoes.
Water Spinach
Ipomoea aquatica
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Convolvulaceae
Kang-kong, Weng Cai;
Ung-Choi (Cantonese);
Relative of sweet potato
A perennial semi-aquatic plant producing
long shoots which trail over the water or
mud, rooting freely at the nodes.
Can also be grown on dry land.
Flowers are white or pink and leaves are
arrow-shaped and stem hollow.
The young plants, leaves and shoots form a
common leaf vegetable with Asians. It has a
high iron content.
Chinese Spinach
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Amaranthus tricolor
(A. gangeticus)
Amaranthaceae
Xian Cai (Mandarin)
Yin-Choi (Cantonese)
A very ancient pot herb in South East
Asia, many of the more than fifty
species in both tropical and temperate
regions are eaten as greens.
It is probably the best of all tropical
spinaches both in flavor and food
value. It contains substantial amounts
of vitamins A, B, C and double the
amount of iron found in spinaches.
Tong-cai (通菜, Water Spinach)
• Tong-cai with fermented
bean curd and pepper
slices is a local favorite
delicacy in southern
China.
• There are two kinds of
Tong-cai, which grow
respectively in relatively
dry fields or watery land.
The latter is greener and
more robust, with larger
leaves.
Bo-cai (菠菜, Spinach)
• Spinach of western
gardens
• nicknamed "Hong Zui
Lue Yingge" ("Red-beak
green parrot") in East
China for its
appearance.
Houttuynia cordata
• 鱼腥草
• pinyin: yúxīng cǎo;
literally "fishy-smell
herb“
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Used in salads and stir fries,
especially in Sichuan and
Hunan
Lizard’s Tail
Colocasia esculenta (Araceae)
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Taro or Cocoyam
Yu Tou;
Woo-Tau (Cantonese)
The corms of Taro are the "potatoes" of the
tropics, being superior to potatoes in
nutritional value, containing a higher
proportion of proteins, calcium and
phosphorus. The main bulk is starch,
present in very fine grains that makes them
easily digestible. The corms can be boiled,
roasted, fried as chips
nice nutty flavor
The young leaves and petioles are also
used as food and cooked like any other
green vegetable.
Water Chestnuts
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Eleocharis dulcis
an edible tuber that belongs to
the sedge family Cyperaceae.
This is not to be confused with
the horned water chestnut or
water caltrop (Trapa spp.) or with
the tree chestnut that is usually
roasted and eaten (Castanea
spp.).
The water chestnut is grown in
paddies with rice
The Chinese water chestnut is a
popular ingredient in Chinese and
Southeast Asian cuisines
In the U.S., we often make due
with canned water chestnuts, but
fresh ones are the rule in China.
ARROWHEAD,
Sagittaria sinensis
TSEE GOO, KUWAI
A small, tuberous vegetable used in Japan and
China, where it is grown extensively in Sichuan and
Yunnan provinces. It resembles a lily bulb with
smooth, beige skin and peeling, thin, brown, layered
leaves. It has a bland, slightly sweet taste, and can
be used in the same way as a potato.
Also known as tsee goo (China); kuwai (Japan).
known as p'ien t'ao jen (China)
The round tuber is edible. In China, it is known as cígū (慈菇; lit. "benevolent mushroom"), and its tuber is
eaten particularly on the Chinese New Year. It tastes
bland, with a starchy texture, similar to a potato but
somewhat crunchier, even when cooked.
Lotus 莲花
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Nelumbo nucifera
Lián-huā
The lotus root looks like a chain of giant
pods connected to one another. Crunchy,
with a tinge of sweetness, the vegetable
can be prepared in a variety of ways—
fried, sautéed, steamed, boiled—without
losing its firmness, making it an ideal
snappy texture for dishes such as salads.
Although used throughout Asia, the lotus
root is closely associated with Chinese
cuisine. It is also prized for its unique
interior pattern of holes, which add a
decorative aspect to many dishes.
Lotus with sesame and leek
Lily
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Lilium bulbs are starchy and edible as
root vegetables, although bulbs of some
species may be very bitter.
The non-bitter bulbs of L. lancifolium, L.
pumilum, and especially L. brownii (百合
干; bǎihé gān) are grown on a large
scale in China as a luxury or health
food, most often sold in dry form.
They are eaten especially in the
summer, for their ability to reduce
internal heat. They may be reconstituted
and stir-fried, grated and used to thicken
soup, or processed to extract starch.
Their texture and taste draw comparison
with the potato, although the individual
bulb scales are much smaller.
Chinese Toon • Toona sinensis
Xiang Chun Ya
A hardwood tree, related
to mahagony. The young
leaves and shoots can be
used as a vegetable
called Xiang Chun Ya.
They are uniquely
aromatic, excellent for stir
fry (especially with egg),
salad, pickling,
seasoning, etc.
It is also used as a
medicinal plant
Bamboo Shoots
• Pleioblastus variegatus
• Grass Family (Poaceae)
• Shoots are the young canes
that are harvested within two
weeks, or less than a foot of
growth
• Crisp and tender, similar to
asparagus
• Low in fat and calories
• good source of fiber and
potassium
Bamboo Shoots
• Must be for
cooked (blanched)
for 20 minutes
before eating
• raw shoots are
bitter tasting and
hard to digest
• Other genera are
utilized, especially
Phyllostachys
Harvesting bamboo shoots
National Geographic
Shan-cai (潺菜, Ceylon Spinach)
• Basella alba, B. rubra
• Zi luo kui, Lu luo kui
(Mandarin)
• Lo kwai (Cantonese)
• Native of southern Asia
• smooth and gluey on the
palate
• Mucilaginous quality makes it
good as a thickener in soups
and stews.
• Functions to "cool" the inside
of the human body
Bracken Fern
• juécài (蕨菜)
• Worldwide, the most
widely distributed
species of fern
• Harvested from the
wild
• Used in stir fries with
light seasoning
Vegetables from bulbs
• Onions, leeks, garlic, and shallots are all
in the genus Allium of the Liliaceae. All of
these have been cultivated for thousands
of years. Onions (Allium cepa) and garlic
(A. sativum) probably originated in
central Asia and leeks (A. ampeloprasum)
in the Near East. All were cultivated in
Egypt by 3200 B.C.
• Chives (A. schoenoprasum) are eaten for
the leaves alone.
Onions in rural garden, Hunan
Cong（葱, Spring Onion）
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There are two interesting cais
widely used for seasoning in
Chinese cuisine, Cong and
Jiu-cai.
Cong, slim and refreshingly
fragrant, can enrich and
balance the flavors of a dish.
It is also synonymous with
"smartness” ('Cong Ming' in
Mandarin).
Many traditional-minded
parents let their babies have
a bite of cong in the hopes
that the plant will help their
children become smarter in
the future.
Jiu-cai (韭菜, Leek)
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The leaves are flat, unlike similar
European chives
Jiu-cai is nutritious, but "hot"
according to TCM. It has been
served on Chinese menus for over
3,000 years.
The Jiu-cai harvested in February of
the Chinese lunar calendar (about
March) is the finest.
Used both as a seasoning and as a
vegetable component of stir fries
Mushrooms
• Some common mushrooms
and other fungi in Chinese
cuisine
• Some are used as medicines
Lentinus
Hericium
Lactarius
Gastrosuillus
Courtesy G. Chen, Jishou University
Morchella
Straw Mushrooms
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Volvariella volvacea.
Their common name comes from
the rice straw on which they are
grown. The straw mushroom, also
called "paddy straw mushroom," is
cultivated in the hot, steamy climate
of Southeast Asia.
eaten in China for 2000 years.
Worldwide they rank third in
consumption, just behind Agaricus
bisporus (the common store
mushroom) and Lentinus edodes
(shiitake).
Harvested before the caps expand
Golden
Mushrooms
• Flammulina velutipes
• 金針菇, Pinyin: jīnzhēngū
• Especially used for soups
• grows on the stumps of the
Chinese Hackberry tree, also
on mulberry and persimmon
trees.
Tree Ear Fungus
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Auricularia polytricha
Also Cloud ear fungus
a jelly fungus gray-brown in color
used often in Asian cooking.
The fungus grows in frilly masses on
dead wood. It is a dark brown color
but somewhat translucent.
It is usually sold dried and needs to
be soaked before use.
It is prized for its slightly crunchy
texture and medicinal properties.
Shiitake Mushrooms
• Lentinus edodes
• Shiitake have many uses in
Chinese cuisines. They are
served in many steamed and
simmered dishes.
• Shiitake are often dried and sold
as preserved food in packages.
These must be rehydrated by
soaking in water before using.
• Shiitake contain lentinan, which
benefits the immune system
…..
Ten Tasty Vegetables (Shi Ziang Cai)
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Ingredients:
1 c Carrots, shredded
1 c White Chinese turnip,-shredded
1 c White Chinese celery,-shredded
8 Pieces spiced soy bean curd
3 c Soybean sprouts (NOT mung-bean sprouts)
4 Green onions, shredded
1/2 c Nami dried black mushrooms -soaked & shredded
1/2 c Cloud Ear dried fungus -soaked
1/2 c Dried lily flowers, soaked-and hard tips removed
2 oz Bean thread noodles, soaked
1 ts Salt (to taste)
6 tbTo 8 tb oil for stir-frying
Ten Tasty Vegetables: Instructions
Preparation: Shred in 2" lengths: carrots, turnip, Chinese celery and bean curd.
Shred onions, greens & all, into 2" lengths.
Rinse, then soak in hot water: enough mushrooms, fungus and lily flowers to give specified
amounts.
Shred mushrooms, chop fungus.
Soak bean thread noodles.
Bean thread noodles are important because they soak up excess moisture from the
vegetables.
Vegetables should be moist but not soggy or watery after stir-frying.
Stir-frying: Stir-fry fresh vegetables separately with about 1 tablespoon oil for each, in hot
wok.
Add salt to taste.
Drain off excess water, reserve.
(Soybean sprouts should be cooked until they are slightly charred for fullest flavor.) To stir-fry
dried soaked ingredients, begin with hot wok, add 2 to 3 tablespoons oil, then add
mushroom, fungus & lily flowers.
Stir-fry green onions, add all other ingredients to them, including noodles.
Allow dish to cool before serving.
NOTE: Fresh or canned bamboo shoot may be substituted for any vegetable.
Seaweed may be used instead of some of the fungus.
Silk Road Ginger and Carrot Stir-fry
From the Miao minority in Guizhou province. The namesake ingredients are julienned. Mandolines
would help, but if you want a rugged challenge and have strong hands, slicing everything with a
cleaver also works. The original recipe also called for pork strips, but I decided to substitute bean
curd skin [tofu noodles], which hooked me by being pre-shredded.
Serve over rice or stir-fried noodles.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 large pieces ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks (about 1 cups)
6 or 7 dried red chilis
2/3 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup shredded bean curd skin (optional)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
10 to 12 Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed or 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan pepper
Salt to taste
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Toss in garlic, ginger, and chilis and stirfry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add carrots and stir-fry 1 minute. Add water and soy sauce, and
cover. Allow water to almost fully reduce, then stir in Sichuan pepper. Cook for another minute, then
salt to taste. Dish may be served hot or warm.
Adapted from Beyond the Great Wall by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Potato shreds with chili and
vinegar
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qing jiao tu dou si (青椒土豆丝), or ‘green chili potato shreds’.
It’s cooked very quickly so that the potatoes still retain a crunch; this was definitely a strange experience at first, having only eaten
potatoes in their starchy softness, in the form of mashed potatoes and chips. But it definitely works - it’s refreshing and the texture
resembles the radish, somewhat.
Recipe: Serves 1-2
1 medium potato, peeled (avoid floury potatoes)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 red chili, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
pinch of sugar
1 spring onion, chopped
1. Prepare the potato by cutting it in half lengthways. Place each half with flat side down, and slice each thinly (3-4 mm, if you can
manage, the thinner the better!). For every 4-5 slices, lay flat and slice again lengthways, to create long matchstick-like pieces. Leave to
soak in a large bowl of cold water to prevent the potatoes from going black.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a non-stick wok, and add the garlic and chili. Sauté for about one minute. Note: You can leave out the chili at
this stage if you want a really spicy flavor, and add them in the final stages of cooking
3. Meanwhile, drain the potatoes in a colander. Add to the wok and quickly stir fry for another minute. Add the rice vinegar, soy sauce
and sugar. Keep tossing the potatoes for another 4-5 minutes until you start to see the liquid in the pan thicken.
4. Add the chopped spring onions, toss once more to mix in, and serve.
http://tastytreats.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/chinese-treats-from-the-north/
Books
• The Food of China, By E. N. Anderson
• Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and
Travels in the Other China (Hardcover) by
Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid
• Food Plants of China by Hu Shiu-ying
References
• http://www.gz2010.cn/08/
1230/17/4UE7246O00780
03U_2.html