With so many Chinese vegetables available, knowing how to use them all can be overwhelming.
China is a country boasting over 300 million farmers, who grow an amazing 50% of the vegetables eaten throughout the globe. While some Chinese vegetables are common in America, there are many different varieties that you may not have heard of. Here are 5 fresh and delicious Chinese vegetables that you can incorporate into your cooking with Lotte Plaza.
Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage is a delicious leafy vegetable, also called snow cabbage or napa cabbage, and it is often sold loose in the grocery store. Chinese cabbage is a Chinese vegetable used in soup, hotpot, or stir fries. It has a nice mild flavor and can soak up other flavors very well.
Bok Choy
Bok choy is a very common Chinese vegetable that’s also known as Chinese cabbage. Bok choy is small and petite and it has a punchy flavor. It is used more as an accent to dishes thanks to its flavor, and it’s also used with Chinese cabbage in soups, hotpots, and stir fry dishes.
Cucumbers
This Chinese vegetable is also very popular throughout the rest of the world. Chinese farmers grow and eat many different types of cucumbers. Some of the Chinese cucumbers are larger and thicker, like the ones most common in America, and others are skinny and longer in length. Some cucumbers are textured and others are totally smooth. In general, they have a mild and nice taste.
White Radish
This Chinese vegetable is not common outside of Asia. White radishes are very large in size and almost appear like white carrots, unlike the traditional red radishes most Americans are used to. White radishes are sold in bunches at grocery stores and used as a fun pop of flavor in many stir fry dishes and soups.
Chinese Eggplant
These eggplants look different than the large Italian eggplants common at the supermarket. Chinese eggplants are long and thin, with a deep purple skin. They are most frequently placed into a stir fry or covered in a flavorful garlic sauce.
Ready to Experiment with Flavor?
Lotte Plaza Market is the perfect shop to supply you with the ingredients you need to make all of your Asian dishes shine with authenticity and flavor. With over 10 locations throughout Maryland and Virginia, we have provided excellent service and quality groceries to our customers for 40 years. Contact us online for more information and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Pinterest. For locations, sales, and all of Lotte Market in the palm of your hand, download our app!