Chinatown produce--how do they do it?

[paulraphael]

All year round, the street vendors and grocers in chinatown have a good assortment of veggies (at least ones used in chinese cooking) that are amazingly fresh and cheap. How do they do it? Where does this stuff come from?

[Gastro888]

I believe that because the Chinese are extremely picky about freshness and price they're forced to deliver what the market wants. It would be one thing if there was only one stand around but there's so many that they have to be competitive and address all the needs of the market (ie freshness, variety, quality, and price). Not alot is spent on overhead - this ain't no Whole Foods. Also, if you look carefully all those cardboard signs have a different price on the opposite end that the vendors display towards the end of the day. So those baby bok choy that were 1.50/lb in the morning would be 1.00/lb night.

[Nathan]

a lot of it comes in from Jersey truck farms daily...I think.

[shengcai]

Even here in the midwest, I'm impressed by both the freshness of the produce at the Asian markets and the price at which I can obtain them. On my weekly grocery shopping excursions, I've found that I can buy about 1 bag of groceries from Whole Foods at the same price that I can buy 3-4 from the Asian market. Of course, there are a whole bunch of variables that factor into that, but the bottom line is: Asian produce is cheap!

[larrylee]

Great question, I've wondered about this, too.

Sometimes the produce looks a little "too fresh" and seems a little "too cheap." Given the language barrier and a general lack of information about the farming practices used, the question "are these veggies laden with chemicals and pesticides?" always nags me.

It hasn't, however, deterred us from actively seeking out and happily eating this produce. I just wish more information was available. I'm sure the labor costs are lower, but beautiful veggies at astoundingly low prices just makes me think that -something- has to give.

Out of curiosity I googled for Chinese produce pollution and found that pollution is certainly a concern back in China.

Chinese switch to organic produce as toxins, pollution foul food

Chinese are buying organically grown food, as pesticides, pollution and fakes - including lard made from sewage and grease - infiltrate the food chain.

Southwest China to Produce Pollution-free Vegetables

Pengzhou city, one of the five national vegetable production bases, has recently built a pesticide residue examination center to make sure vegetables are not polluted.

Rao Minshuang, director of the vegetable production bureau of the local government, said that to promote the vegetables better on the international market, international standards for the examination of vegetables to see if they are pollution-free must be introduced.

Oh, and I just found this web page showing a "pick your own Chinese produce" farm:

Chia-Sin Farms

Produce:

Chinese Vegetables, Tomatoes, Peppers, Hot Peppers, Squash, Eggplant

Address:

211 Quakertown Rd., Quakertown

Phone Number:

(908) 730-7123

Miscellaneous Information: June - October

[weinoo]

At the produce markets where I often shop, along E. Broadway and Grand St., there is an amazing array of beautiful "asian" vegetables - 10 -15 kinds of cabbage, cress, water spinaches, ginger, lemongrass, scallions, thai basil, etc. But, to be quite honest, the stuff like potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce (when it can be found), lets say "western" vegetables, is of lesser quality than can be found in most supermarkets in the city. So it really comes down to caveat emptor, like so much shopping for food does!

For really beautiful asian vegetables, head to the greenmarket - specialty growers there have some of the most awesome (and pricey) stuff around.

[Gastro888]

I wonder if the Chinese vegetables and the conventional Western vegetables are grown in the same manner. As I previously mentioned, a part of the low cost could be contributed to the low overhead. Their profit margin per sale might be lower but the overall sales volume could explain why they're still in business.

In regards to fake foods in China unfortunately, that's something you need to look out for. Fatt choy (a seaweed consumed during the Lunar New Year) has been replicated using who knows what. The lack of regulation in China scares me and I question how their regulations ensure that product is grown organically. Then again, I think the same thing about the regulations here in the US.

[weinoo]

I wonder if the Chinese vegetables and the conventional Western vegetables are grown in the same manner.

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One thing I remember from the days when I had a garden was that a lot of the Chinese veggies like bok choy and it's infinite varieties grow pretty quickly. Potatoes, carrots, heading vegetables like cabbage, don't.

Couple that with the fact that a lot of what is being sold is 'baby" bok choy, etc., and they're probably able to push more marketable crops out in a shorter period of time.

[phaelon56]

There's also another element to the story. Conventional grocery stores where shopper buy veggies and produce only once or twice each week require the wholesale vendors to provide product that is at a very specific stage of ripeness. This is so they can get it through their distribution system, keep it on the shelf for a several days or longer and still have it appeal to mainstream non-Chinese buyers who may not use it for a few more days after that.

It's my understanding that many Chinese families purchase such items as fish, meat or produce on almost a daily basis. Therefore the Chinatown merchants can get reduced prices on produce that is at the optimal stage for purchase and consumption but would be over-ripe and well past its prime if it went through the typical distribution channels to regular grocery stores.

Ever notice how in a typical mainstream grocery store most of the produce is on the green or somewhat under-ripe side?

NPR had a terrific piece on this topic just a few weeks ago - audio only - no text

Chinatown Vendors Ripe for Bargains by Lisa Chow