Know More About Special Veges in China

By Hanlin Language Center

Have you ever been to the local markets in China ? Were you ever confused when you saw those different kinds of vegetables ?

You may want to try some of them but you can’t because you don’t know how to cook them or even their names!

Well, here is a brief introduction of veges that are special in China.

1

红薯叶（hóng shǔ yè） is the leave of the sweet potato. It contains a lot of fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, VC, VB1, VB2 nicotinic acid, even more than carrot and tomato and many other veges.

You can fry them with garlic and pepper, or put them in the soup. It’s a very popular dish in China, especially during summer.

2

茄子（qié zi）is called eggplant in some countries. The qié zi skin contains high level of vitamin B and the flash contains high level of vitamin C, so it’s better not to peel the skin when cooking.

There are so many ways to cook qié zi. You can fry, steam or grill etc. One of the healthiest ways to eat qié zi is Mashed Eggplant with Garlic (mixing the mashed steamed qié zi with garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, cilantro and a bit of oil).

It’s not safe to eat row qié zi for it contains solanine which is poisonous, and some people may have diarrhoea if they eat qié zi and crab at the same time.

3

丝瓜 (sī guā) is the most common ingredient for home dishe. sī guā soup is on almost every family’s menu in summer, and the refreshing taste and nutritional value makes it one of the favorite foods in China.

Due to its beauty function, sī guā is also used as the ingredient in beauty products like toner and face masks. It’s believed that sī guā can slow down aging of the skin.

4

木耳（mù ěr）is one of those foods that most of the foreigners do not want to try just because its looking. mù ěr literally means wood ear, because it’s one kind of fungus that grows on the trees, and it looks like ears. You can only buy dried mù ěr in the market. It is necessary to soak it in the water for around 30 minutes before cooking it.

Mù ěr is very helpful for your digesting system, and it helps to prevent you from iron deficiency anemia, arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

mù ěr is one very common ingredient in Chinese food. Black Fungus in Vinegar Sauce and mù ěr fry meat are the most common dishes make with mù ěr.

5

金针菇（jīn zhēn gū）literally means golden needle mushroom. It's definitely on the top of the list when Chinese people are having hotpot and barbecue.

Jīn zhēn gū has high Lysine, Arginine and  zinc content. It is also a good choice for people with hypertension, obesity as well as middle-aged and elderly people, because it is a high potassium and low sodium food.

6

南瓜花（nán guā huā）is the flower of pumpkin. You can only see them in around Jun and July in some provinces in the south of China.

For the fresh flowers, you can either boil, fry, deep fry, or mix them in the flour to make bāo zi(bun) . The dried flowers is often used as the medicine for coughing. Don’t forget to remove the stamen before you cook it.

7

芋头(yù tou) is taro. In China, yù tou is used as the ingredient for both dishes and deserts.

yù tou is with high fluoride content, which has the function of cleaning and protecting teeth. It also contains a variety of trace elements, which is good for human’s immune system.

拔丝香芋（bá sī xiāng yù ), the silk candied taro is one famous dish that you can find in many Chinese restaurants. When you pick up the taro ball, the sugar outside would be pulled up in the form like silk, hence the name bá sī xiāng yù( Silk candied taro).

8

番薯（fān shǔ ）,also called 红薯 （hóng shǔ ）is one of people’s favourite here when they are on a diet because of it’s low fat content. It can quickly neutralize the acidic substances produced by rice, noodles, meat and eggs in the human body and maintain the weak alkali balance in the human blood. That’s why it’s called “Longevity food” since Ming dynasty.

9

番薯（fān shǔ ）,also called 红薯 （hóng shǔ ）is one of people’s favourite here when they are on a diet because of it’s low fat content. It can quickly neutralize the acidic substances produced by rice, noodles, meat and eggs in the human body and maintain the weak alkali balance in the human blood. That’s why it’s called “Longevity food” since Ming dynasty.

10

莲子 （lián zǐ) is the Lotus seed. You can eat the fresh lián zǐ directly or cook the dried lián zǐ in the soup or desert. The dried lián zǐ is a very common ingredient in Chinese medicine. It contains high level of Calcium, phosphorus and potassium.

Join us and learn how to cook these local veges in our cooking class!

No need to bring anything but your hunger for good food and your thirst for cooking knowledge. Let’s have fun!

HLC汉林

Hanlin Language Center is a professional language school. Our mission is to apply the knowledge learned in class into practice and help students achieve their learning targets. We spread Chinese culture, helping foreign students master Chinese language to better adapt to the local life. Our students come from different parts of the world, such as America, Britain, India, Japan, France，Germany, Belgium and so on, making Hanlin a real global village. Our Chinese students and foreign students are good learning partners, helping each other. We warmly welcome you to join Hanlin.

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