by LadyTong | Jan 18, 2012 | Uncategorized |
Ingredient Name: Mung Beans (also known as mungbean, bean, mung, green gram, mung gram)
Traditional Chinese Name: 綠豆 (lǜdòu)
What is this?
- The direct translation of this from Chinese means “green bean”
- It is a small, round, oval-shaped bean that is green in color with a white eye (or center) and very hard
- The mung bean is commonly used in Chinese cuisine (soups, stews, desserts, made into paste, dishes, etc..)
- It is considered a cooling food and used to fight inflammation, heaty bodies, heat stroke, and fevers
How do I prepare it?
- Soak in warm water and rinse before using in soups
Where can I buy this?
- Readily available at most Asian supermarkets (packaged)
- Definitely available in Hong Kong wet marts (sold in the dried food vendor stalls) and can be purchased in the bulk volume of your choice
What is the cost?
- Very affordable
- One bag of 100g of mung bean cost me around $5-6 HKD at the wet mart
- This price will vary on vendor to vendor (and even from wet mart to supermarket)
Any benefits?
- The mung bean is an excellent source of protein
- It contains a healthy amount of Vitamin C and E
- They also contain Calcium, Iron, and Potassium
- The beans are a great weight-loss food and still give them punch of require proteins in daily diet
Any precautions?
- Take caution when consuming in the first trimester of a pregnancy (for soups, you can throw in 3-4 pieces of ginger into a soup that has mung beans)
- Be sure to purchase mung beans from a reputable source
Additional Information
by LadyTong | Apr 30, 2011 | Uncategorized |
Ingredient Name: Red kidney beans, red beans
Traditional Chinese Name: 菜豆(cài dòu)
What is this?
- A bean which is red in color (dark red) and in the shape of a kidney (thus the name kidney bean)
- It is a larger species of the red beans group and is not as commonly used in Chinese cuisine (whereas it is an integral part of Indian cuisine)
- Raw kidney beans are toxic and must be boiled for at least 10 minutes (even if used in slow cooking)
- It is a very starchy bean with a red shiny, smooth exterior and absorbs the flavor of whatever you’re cooking
- Available in both a dried or canned version for consumption
How do I prepare it?
- Soak in water for at least 5 hours before usage (and discard soaked water)
- Boil in water at least 100 °C for at least 10 minutes before consumption
Where can I buy this?
This is available in most supermarkets (Asian and Western)
What is the cost
Any benefits?
Any precautions?
Additional Information
Another species of red bean (also known as multi-colored kidney bean)
by LadyTong | May 5, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Ingredient Name: Yellow beans, Peruano beans, canary beans,
Traditional Chinese Name: 黃豆 (Huángdòu) – literal translation of “yellow bean”
What is this?
- A type of common bean that is yellow (pale yellow or beige), roundish and oval in shape
- They are usually about 1cm in length and have a thick skin
- Very common in Asian and Mexican cuisines
- Used in dishes, stews, desserts and soups
How do I prepare it?
Rinse in warm water
- Can be used in dishes or soups cut in larger pieces or as a whole stalk
- It is usually used in small amounts to enhance flavors
Where can I buy this?
Available in wet marts in Hong Kong
- Also available prepackaged in supermarkets
What is the cost?
- Very affordable
- 40g cost around $5 HKD
Any benefits?
Excellent source of soluble fibre which can help eliminate cholesterol from the body
Low in fat and high in protein
High-potassium and low in sodium
Helps eliminate excess moisture from the body
Additional Information:
References:
by LadyTong | Feb 26, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Ingredient Name: Glass noodles, Bean vermicelli, Bean threads, cellophane noodles, green bean vermicelli, crystal noodles or other variations
Traditional Chinese Name: 粉絲 (fěn sī )
What is this?
- Bean vermicelli is a type of noodle product made from starches (usually mung or green bean)
- It’s white and transparent and hard in texture because it is often sold as a dried product
- Glass noodles are in various dishes, soups, stews, or appetizers and come in various shapes, sizes and lengths
- Different from rice vermicelli as this one is made usually from beans and not rice
How do I prepare it?
Where can I buy this?
This is available in most Asian supermarkets as prepackages
Western supermarkets are also sometimes known to carry this item
What is the cost
Any benefits?
Any precautions?
Be sure you’re purchasing genuine bean vermicelli
It is known that some manufacturers use corn starch to produce this to reduce cost (and can contain lead or bleaches)
Caution for people who have gout as high in bean content products can irritate gout symptoms
References:
by LadyTong | Jan 19, 2010 | Uncategorized |
Ingredient Name: Black eye beans or black-eyed peas
Traditional Chinese Name: 眉豆(méi dou)
What is this?
- A bean which has multiple varieties due to its ease of cultivation
- Used in multi-cultural dishes around the world
- Grown in many countries in Asia, it is a common staple in many dishes and soups
How do I prepare it?
Where can I buy this?
This is available in most supermarkets (Asian and Western)
What is the cost
Any benefits?
Excellent source of soluble fibre which can help eliminate cholesterol from the body
Low in fat and high in protein
High-potassium and low in sodium
Helps eliminate excess moisture from the body
Any precautions?
Resources
