Another little known and very local vegetable.
Telosma cordata
Tonkin jasmine goes under many English names such as pakalana vine, Tonkinese creeper, Chinese violet, cowslip creeper, telosoma etc. In Chinese it is 夜香花 (Mand: yè xiāng huā; Cant: je6 hoeng1 faa1) or 夜来香 (Mand: yè lái xiāng; Cant: je6 loi4 hoeng1)
It is a flowering plant native to Guangdong and Guangxi of China and also cultivated in Vietnam (on the Bay of Tonkin, hence the name.) It has a delicate lemony scent and is used in both southern Chinese and northern Vietnamese cuisine (where it is known as bông thiên lý.)
Tonkin jasmine is usually stir fried, often with eggs, with which it has a particular affinity, or is boiled in soups, often with fish. It is also added to many noodle dishes in Vietnam.
Tonkin Jasmine Scrambled Eggs
Me likes it.
