liuzhou

Pisum sativum. Give peas a chance. Peas are grown in China but I rarely see fresh peas in their natural state in the pod, or out. On occasion, they turn up pod-free in bags in some supermarkets. I bought them once. They were so old that all the sugars had turned to starch and they were rock hard. Boiling them for hours made no difference whatsoever. Inedible. Also frozen fresh peas are unheard of. Even more occasionally, I have seen canned peas, but not very good ones. So where are all these peas going. Well, mainly into the snack market. Roasted salted and flavoured peas are widely available. I used to buy and enjoy them, but I got scared of how long my teeth would last biting into them, so I haven't had any for years. Salted dry roasted peas What we do get however as a non-snack item, but more a vegetable are pea sprouts 豌豆芽 (Mand: wān dòu yá; Cant: wun2 dau6*2 ngaa4), made just like all other bean sprouts. We also get pea greens 豌豆苗 (Mand: wān dòu miáo; Cant: wun2 dau6*2 miu4), used as is any other green vegetable. What we do get in pods are sugar snap peas, Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon. In Mandarin Chinese, 甜豆 (tián dòu), meaning 'sweet bean', but in Cantonese 蜜豆 (mat6 dau6*2), translating as 'honey bean'. These an the next example are both sometimes referred to by their French name 'mange tout', meaning 'eat all', as the pods are almost often eaten along with their content. And, snow peas, Pisum sativum var. saccharatum, 荷兰豆/荷蘭豆 (Mand: hé lán dòu; Cant: ho4 laan4*1 dau6*2) , which means 'Holland beans'. I have no idea why they think they are from Holland. These are frequently cooked with squid and other seafood. The stems and leaves are also eaten.

Not what I planned, but life intervened. Still, I enjoyed it. Fresh ramen noodles stir fried with pork, mushrooms, shredded mustard greens, chilli, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce.

I'm thinking of doing a Thai-style duck curry tonight or tomorrow. I'll be using breast meat (after removing and rendering the fat, saving it separately). I've done it before and enjoyed it. I usually do curries with a mix of breast and leg, but breast is what I have today.

The Chinese yam vine (above) also produces bulbils where the leaves join the stem. These are also edible, if tasteless. In Chinese they are referred to variously as 山药豆/山藥豆 (Mand: shān yào dòu; Cant: saan1 joek6 dau6*2), 'yam bean' or 山药蛋/山藥蛋 (Mand: shān yào dàn; Cant: saan1 joek6 daan6), 'yam egg'. However, here in Guangxi they are usually called 凉薯 (Mand: liáng shǔ; Cant: loeng4 syu4) which literally means 'cold potatoes'. They are only very vaguely potato-like and again, more starchy. I bought and prepared them once, but never saw any reason to revisit.

Leaving the 'gua' family aside for a bit, I move on to Dioscorea polystachya, Chinese yam also called cinnamon-vine. This is a flowering vine native to China but now growing all over Asia. It has been introduced to the USA where it is considered an invasive species. All the more reason to eat it. In Chinese it is known by several names. The most common variety is 淮山 (Mand: huái shān ; Cant: waai4 saan1) or 山药/ (Mand: shān yào; Cant: saan1 joek6), meaning 'mountain medicine' (as it is used in traditional Chinese medicine). Occasionally, these two names are combined, giving 淮山药/ (Mand: huái shān yào; Cant: waai4 saan1 joek6). Unlike others yams, this one can be eaten raw. It is eaten so in Japan, but as I've mentioned the Chinese are particularly averse to raw foods. These sticks are about 12"/30cm long. Peeled and sliced they are used in soups and hot pots like potatoes. I find them over-starchy and tasteless, but for some reason they are popular. They are also made into a paste used for thickening soups and stews. There is a second variety, called 铁棍山药/ (Mand: tiě gùn shān yào; Cant: tit3 gwan3 saan1 joek6) 'iron rod mountain medicine'. These are considerably longer and thinner - up to two feet / 60 cm long or more. They taste the same.

More confusion today. 冬瓜 (Mand: dōng guā; Cant: dung1 gwaa1) directly translates as 'winter melon', but refers to what you may know as the 'wax gourd', and not what is elsewhere known as 'winter gourd'. It is also known regionally as ash gourd, white gourd, winter gourd, tallow gourd, ash pumpkin, etc Benincasa hispida These can reach up to 80 cm/32 inches in length. Used as the pumpkins in the last post. Again it is available in slices or pieces. Another variety of wax gourd that we have is 节瓜/節瓜 (Mand: jié guā; Cant: zit3 gwaa1). Much smaller at only 8 to 10 inches / 20-25cm in length this is the jointed wax gourd. It is used in the same ways as its large siblings. jiegua We do get a range of what people call the winter squashes that come in many colours and shapes. I'll cover them when they turn up. It isn't winter here, yet.

You mean you've never heard of the Welsh cheese cake master, Ben D. Franklin? Astonishing! His leek and banana cheesecake is legendary among those in the know.

Roast peanuts with chilli, Sichuan peppercorn and salt. 麻辣花生 má là huā shēng.

I've never seen a purple silkie. Only black. And not bruised. It would have helped if the OP had included a photo.

I'll be looking at winter squash tomorrow. Another one which has different meanings to different people.

My thoughts exactly.

Might be a different Ben Franklin. 😄 I don't see anything particularly unusual about the recipe, though. It's just a cheesecake. Nor is cayenne with chocolate unusual. Chilli and chocolate is a well known pairing.

Now I enter dangerous waters. I'm going down the pumpkin hole. There is a problem in that there is no standard definition of a pumpkin, other than it is a type of gourd. This means what I consider to be a pumpkin, you may not and the next guy will think of something different again. This applies in both English and Chinese. So, I'm going to show examples of what is known as 南瓜 (Mand: nán guā; Cant: naam4 gwaa1), which is literally 'south gourd' and usually translated as 'pumpkin'. However, again there are many types. The most common example is simply named 南瓜. These: They are around 18 inches/ 46 cm long; clearly too much for the average family in one sitting, so they are also sold in pieces. We also see these, which may more closely resemble what many of you think of as pumpkins. They are 圆南瓜/圓南瓜 (Mand: yuán nán guā; Cant: jyun 4*2 naam4 gwaa1) which means 'round pumpkin. Again, as can be seen, you can buy a whole one or just a piece. They also come in a green-skinned variety known as 青圆南瓜仔/青圓南瓜仔 (Mand: qīng yuán nán guā zǐ; Cant: cing1 jyun 4*2 naam4 gwaa1zai2), 'young green round pumpkin'. Then we have these small pumpkins known either as 小南瓜 (Mand: xiǎo nán guā; Cant: siu2 naam4 gwaa1), 'small pumpkin' or, in Mandarin only, 贝贝南瓜/ (bèi bèi nán guā), 'baby pumpkin'. Those in the photo below are around 6 to 7 inches/ 15 to 18cm long. At the opposite end to the babies are the 老南瓜 (Mand: lǎo nán guā; Cant: lou5 naam4 gwaa1), meaning "old pumpkins'. One very noticeable variety is this: These knobbly gourds are known as 丑南瓜/醜南瓜 (Mand: chǒu nán guā; Cant: cau2 naam4 gwaa1) which means 'ugly pumpkin. Don't look so ugly to me. All of these pumpkins are mainly used in soups and hot pots, although pumpkin cakes are also very popular. More popular than anything is the seeds. Chinese people love pumpkin (and sunflower seeds). I once took an 18-hour train journey and the family opposite me literally ate them for the whole journey. The seeds are also used to produce oil which is used as a condiment; not suitable for frying. This is available only a few specialist stores. The people here in Guangxi, especially in the countryside, eat the the pumpkin leaves as a green vegetable. But I have kept my favourite to last. 南瓜花 (Mand: nán guā huā; Cant: naam4 gwaa1 faa1). Pumpkin flowers are wonderful. Used mainly in light soups, but I've also had them stuffed with minced pork etc. They are also delicious battered and deep fried, tempura style.The flowering season is short, but a highlight of my year, There are other pumpkins, but the season is only beginning. I'll add any more I see, as and when they appear.

Clam and leaf mustard soup. Spicy pork kidney with white button mushrooms, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, chilli, coriander leaf and chives. Rice.

Lagenaria siceraria Still at the altar of 瓜, we come across these. This is calabash, bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, New Guinea bean or Tasmania bean. In Chinese, 葫芦(瓜)/葫蘆(瓜) (Mand: hú lú (guā); Cant: wu4 lou4*2 (gwaa1)) or 葫子(瓜) (Mand: hú zi (guā); Cant: wu4 zi2 (gwaa1)). The gua character is sometimes dropped in this type. They come in many shapes, but this is the most common round here. Like most of the vegetable gua family, these are used in soups and hot pots, but also stir fried.

Here is one many people may consider more like a bathroom product than food! Momordica charantia is known as bitter melon; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear among others. 苦瓜 (Mand: kǔ guā; Cant: fu2 gwaa1), in Chinese. In the 14th century, this was introduced to China from India, where it remains very popular. It lives up to its English name, bitter melon, etc. It can be very bitter, but you can never be sure until you taste it. Just as some relatively mild chilli peppers can throw in a volcanic example just to keep you on your toes, bitter melon can vary from mildly bitter to totally astringent. Some online recipes advise that you soak or salt them to remove the bitterness. I don't get this at all. If you don't like bitter, why on earth did you buy something specifically identified as 'bitter'? Yes, bitterness is something appreciated as a taste by many Chinese, but can be difficult for some people. I like it a lot, but it was an acquired taste. Round here it is usually stir-fried with beef, but also goes well with pork. It has an affinity with black fermented beans. The melons are split lengthwise and the seeds removed. Then it is cut into crescent shapes. I do it that way often, but have also used it in soups. It also comes in another variety known as 珍珠苦瓜 (Mand: zhēn zhū kǔ guā - pearl bitter melon) with knobbly skin. Tastes the same. These come in two shapes. Slices of the melon are also dried and used to make bitter melon 'tea'. Dried Bitter Melon In Cantonese, various renditions of 'bitter melon face' is used to describe someone we might call a sourpuss.

Luffa acutangula Luffa, Loofah, angled luffa, Chinese okra, dish cloth gourd, ridged gourd, sponge gourd, towel gourd, vegetable gourd, strainer vine, ribbed loofah, silky gourd, ridged gourd, silk gourd. Whatever name you prefer, these vine gourds are related to the cucumber. 丝瓜/絲瓜 (Mand: sī guā; Cant: si1 gwaa1) in Chinese. If the luffa name is familiar to you, it may be because of the bath tub exfoliant, which is the dried pith of mature plants, usually from the closely related Luffa aegyptiaca, known as the smooth luffa. sponge gourd, Egyptian cucumber, or Vietnamese luffa. This one we also get but the first is much more common. Both varieties are edible, but it is only the young fruits which we eat. Usually sliced and stir fried, they have a delicate flavour. My favourite way to have them I first tasted in a restaurant near my countryside home and have replicated many times. The halved gourds are sprinkled with finely chopped garlic and oil then steamed. This image is of the restaurant's version. It is not recommended that you eat all your bathroom products.

Ever heard of ice? And anyway, it's the mud temperature that matters not the water..

Well, if you are eating canned peas from the 19th century, you deserve what you get!

Canned vegetables always suck*. If you can't get fresh, do without, is my motto. It is very noticeable in supermarkets in China that there is no canned goods section. The very idea of canned vegetables would be ridiculous to a Chinese shopper. We have jicama here, too. I'll get to that in time. I agree it can be a substitute in texture terms; less sure about in taste. *Only honourable exception - French petits pois.

For the next few posts, we are going to be worshipping at the temple of the great god guā 瓜 guā (Mand: guā; Cant: gwaa1) is a multi-purpose Chinese word covering all gourds, squashes and melons. It does not differentiate between what we think of as fruits or vegetables. All types of melon are 瓜, as are pumpkins etc. (Yes, I know. Technically, they are all fruits.) First up, I'm going to start with one of the easiest. 黄瓜 (Mand: huáng guā; Cant: wong4 gwaa1) literally means 'yellow gua'. It is Cucumis sativus, the plain old cucumber. What makes them yellow, I have no idea. These are widely used in Chinese cuisine, but seldom raw. They are usually cooked, if even for only a few seconds. There are a number of Chinese "salads" using cucumber, but even in most of those the cuke is heated through at the very least. One exception is the Sichuan classic, smacked cucumbers. Recipes galore online. Smacked cucumber In this salad from a supermarket salad bar, though, the cucumber has been briefly cooked. We also get these. Usually described as 白黄瓜 (Mand: bái huáng guā; Cant: baak6 wong4 gwaa1), literally white cucumber. I have also seen them as 果黄瓜 (Mand: guǒ huáng guā; Cant: gwo2 wong4 gwaa1), fruit cucumber, but less frequently. The more bulbous ones at the top of the picture. The thinner ones are something else I'll get to later. They do have a whiter flesh and taste a little sweeter. Otherwise, the same. Pickled cucumber is also widely available as are miniature cucumbers for either eating or pickling yourself.

This is from the dreaded Wikipedia, but the sources cited seem reliable. Also, the flowers I posted are from commercially cultivated plants.

Nelumbo nucifera Trust the Chinese to invent a vegetable custom designed to be eaten with chopsticks. Well, part of it anyway. The whole plant is edible and it has one of the most beautiful flowers. This baby is just outside my countryside home. We are talking about the lotus plant, 莲 (Mand: lián; Cant: lin4). Everything you can see is edible and so is everything you can't. The most used part is what is commonly referred to as 'lotus root', but is actually the rhizome of the plant. These are found in the sticky mud at the bottom of the pond. Extracting them is difficult, filthy manual labour. In Chinese, they are 莲藕 (Mand: lián ǒu; Cant: lin4 ngau5), although often only the final character is used, especially on menus. These are usually sliced and fried (stir or deep fry) , steamed or boiled in soups and hot pots. They are also boiled with sugar syrup to make desserts. They are used in Chinese style "salads". Although they are edible raw, it is not advised to eat them that way as they are prone to infection by parasites which are killed even with light cooking. Anyway, the Chinese eat very little raw. The holes make picking up cooked slices with chopsticks easy. Spicy Lotus Root "Salad" A more refined dish is to cut chunks, stuff the holes with meat etc. and deep fry them. The starchy rhizomes are also dried and ground to make a flour used as a thickening agent for sauces etc. When in season, the seed pods, 莲蓬 (Mand: lián péng; Cant: lin4 fung4) are sold on the streets for you to extract and eat the seeds, 莲子 (Mand: lián zi; Cant: lin4 zi2). I posted about them back in 2012. See here. Finally, although the leaves and flowers are edible and used in Japan and Korea, I've never seen them used here in China, although the flower stamens are used to make 'lotus flower tea', 莲花茶 (Mand: lián huā chá; Cant: lin4 faa1 caa4). Exit singing that old Gershwin hit: I've got rhizome; I've got lotus....

I'm told the white ones are starchy and the yellow on the sweet side, but perhaps not as sweet as the ones you describe as " almost too sweet ".

Eagle eyes!