mudbug

How is it not the same? Is it a different variety? Or is it simply older?

I intersperse my vegetables in with the perennials. Gau Gai has the common English names of Chinese Wolfberry and Chinese Boxthorn. The is Botanical/Scientific/Latin Name which will be identical all over the world is Lycium chinense. It has numerous medicinal attributes. My plant is three generations old. Anyone who grows this should prune it to two feet off the ground in the fall or early spring. Of all gardeners out there, only 10 percent are vegetable gardeners, fewer grow Asian vegetables. However, there are more and more vegetable gardeners experimenting with Asian greens. It is actually quite easy to grow most greens in most of the US, especially if you plant for a fall crop and since most are in the cabbage family, they can go well into late fall if grown in a cold frame. Tatsoi can actually be harvested after freezes so can be harvested all winter. Dejah, Where are you located? North I assume?

The issue here is technique. The technique is not identical.

canucklehead, You obviously did not catch the HBO show on the topic. They are killed by emersing them in boiling water. I won't tell you the rest. I'm sure if I saw pigs and chickens slaughtered I'd be just as horrified. I doubt I would ever become vegetarian but I can definitely appreciate many of their viewpoints in regards to principles and animals. I am not sure if we are on opposite sides of an arguement. I have no problem with people eating all sorts of animals (I have eaten more than my share of Noah's Ark). But I feel they deserve to be treated with respect when the are being raised, killed, and eaten. Pigs, cows, chicken are killed quickly. They are not drowned in boiling water. As the world grows smaller - we all must learn to appreciate cultural differences - but it also okay to learn from other cultures. ← I don't really consider any of this an "arguement", but we are on the same side. Allow me to be more direct in my description. They are picked up by the neck via a hoop at the end of a long pole, submerged alive in boiling water up to their neck and immediately skinned while still alive. They die slowly of shock, not becuase their neck is broken or because they drowned.

I know markets have a better selection than they did 20 and 30 years ago. But there is still plenty of produce out there that is difficult to find locally unless it's home grown. Anyone have gardens for this purpose? Any pics to share? Even if you don't, what would be in your dream garden?

hzrt8w, Where'd you get all the pea shoots? How much do they cost in your area? I am growing the plants for the shoots because that's the only way I'd be able to find them.

Thank you Dejah, it's on my shopping list.

Many thanks hzrt8w. I will be trying this soon...

Another option utilized by other cuisines is to allow the fruit turn yellow. Just as green peppers turn to different colors and become more mild when turning yellow, red, and orange. Did you know? The bright red seed coating around the seeds is edible and resembles the taste of cherries?

Good point Ben. Ok, so what are the top three most common fish used to make this in China?

Right, but there is salted fish that is made from larger fish such as mackerel - correct?

Ben Hong, No, I'm just saying that it makes more sense to me.

The following might be of interest to those who have been eating this regularly for generations: Chinese salted fish linked to cancer

"...teeny tiny fishies"? Isn't it usually a slice from a larger fish like mackerel?

canucklehead, You obviously did not catch the HBO show on the topic. They are killed by emersing them in boiling water. I won't tell you the rest. I'm sure if I saw pigs and chickens slaughtered I'd be just as horrified. I doubt I would ever become vegetarian but I can definitely appreciate many of their viewpoints in regards to principles and animals. Eating an animal that was allowed to live freely and have a life in their natural habitat makes more sense to me than raising them specifically for eating and not ever having a chance to live a normal life. Sir Paul McCartney has boycotted China for the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats. I don't want people thinking all Asians are like that or that all Chinese are like that. There are plenty of us who are animal lovers and treat them better than most humans are treated.

Humm... yum!

Exactly. You've never had better green beans or ong choy in your life! Just make sure you get a good tasting brand. There are many that are terrible! But if you find good ones, it's heaven to the palatte.

Tepee, Your recipe sounds delicious! hzrt8w, If you can track down the book The Book of Tofu by Shurtleff & Aoyagi, there is a recipe for Homemade Soymilk starting on page 299 that takes 20 minutes to prepare. Also, then buying soybeans, make sure they are less than a year old and that they have not been genetically modified. Otherwise you are most likely ingesting beans which are registered as pesticides with the USDA.

hzrt8w, Thank you for your last post. It's exactly the info I was looking for. gfron1, Your pics only made me hungry. I was taking about this with a cousin a couple of weeks ago along with haam yu aka salted fish. Indulgences that require no one else walk in unexpectedly unless they are ok with the aromas to begin with. We decided we both needed a fix since neither of us have had these in years. Tonight is the night. I'll be harvesting fresh bok choy to drizzle with hot peanut oil, soy sauce and salt & pepper. Skiimming threads is making me consider bringing a salted egg, salted duck (lop gnap?), preserved vegetable, fresh ong choy to cook with fermented bean curd and plenty of Dr. Pepper and of course a big bowl of rice. We can't find any good crispy skin pork belly around here so someone has to bring that... Oh.... this is going to be sooooo goooood. Anyone want to join us?

Interesting. I wonder if they're made differently these days. I thought the entire point was that it's a way to preserve food for those times when food is not plentiful back before refrigerators and synthetic preservatives were available.

Ok, seriously. At what length of time would you definitely question the shelf life of this product? It's not refrigerated on the shelves at the Asian grocery. And what if it were refrigerated? Would this have an adverse effect or would it last longer, or does it matter?

Thanks Ben, There are several varieties of Amaranth that are used for "edible amaranth" which is just a common name. Just as there are multiple varieties of lettuce. Here are the botanical names of some of the specific varieties of amaranth used as a vegetable: Amaranthus dubius Amaranthus hybridus Amaranthus cruentus

jo-mel, Thanks for the links. Hi hzrt8w, It's been a while since I've frequented the forum. I've always been the one to speak for all those lurkers reading threads who don't necessarily have much experience cooking and therefore I never assume anything. Specifics are always better in order to provide a base for newbies. fiore, Thank you for the detailed reply in response to the foliage. Ben Hong, See? My point exactly... Dejah, More tender than the leaves of Ong Choy?

Yes and no. So that's 8 cups of minced amaranth with a head of sliced garlic and a quarter cup of shrimp paste or fermented bean curd.... right?

And the color of the foliage Ben Hong? You all realize you're going to have to post recipes for these dishes now... right?