Japanese Honeysuckle

by LadyTong | May 14, 2010 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Ingredient Name: Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera Japonica, Suikazura, Er hu, Shuang hua

Traditional Chinese Name: 金銀花 (Jīnyín huā) literal translation of “gold silver flower”

What is this?

A species of invasive vine native to Eastern Asia (Japan, Korea, China)
The raw flower is between white and yellow in color and the vines can grow up to 10m tall
Extremely common in Chinese medicinal uses
Considered cold (helps cool the body and detoxify)
It is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredient
Used as a dried ingredient in drinks and Chinese medicine
Western countries see this plant as a pest or weed

How do I prepare it?

Rinse in warm water prior to use

Where can I buy this?

This is available in most Asian supermarkets

Also available in Chinese herbals stores

What is the cost

10 g cost around $2-3 HKD
Extremely affordable

Any benefits?

Is a cooling food
Excellent in dispelling heat and toxins in the body
Used to treat conditions such as fevers, skin rash, sore throat and other heaty conditions

Any precautions?

Not be consumed by women who are pregnant – especially in first trimester as it’s a cooling food
Consume with caution for people with pre-existing cold conditions

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Honeysuckle

Black Glutinous Rice

by LadyTong | Mar 28, 2010 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Ingredient Name: Black glutinous rice, glutinous rice, black sticky rice, wax rice, sweet rice, pearl rice

Traditional Chinese Name: 黑糯米 (Hēi nuòmǐ)

What is this?

A type of short-grained Asian rice that becomes sticky when cooked
It is relatively dense compared to other varieties of rice
This rice has a long history with the Chinese (as far back as 2,000 year) and has many usages in Asia
The black colour is either a different strain of glutinous rice or is the rice that still contains its bran
Its usage is in desserts, with dim sum, as a meal with meats and vegetables or in soups (although not so commonly)

How do I prepare it?

Rinse in warm water and use

Where can I buy this?

In most supermarkets, health food stores or speciality stores

Available at wetmarts in Hong Kong

You can buy them prepackaged or in the volume you want from the vendors

What is the cost?

It is very affordable with a few dollars for a few grams

Any benefits?

Gluten free rice that is ideal for gluten-free diets

Any precautions?

As with all starches, consume in moderation

Additional Information:

Store in a dry, cool container away from open air and moisture
You can store cooked glutinous rice in the fridge for up to 5 days and frozen in your freezer for up to 6 months

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutinous_rice

Fat Choy or Black Moss

by LadyTong | Jan 14, 2010 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Fat Choy or Black Moss

Ingredient Name:

Fat choy, black moss, hair moss or hair weed

Traditional Chinese Name:

髮菜 (fa cai)

Black moss is neutral in nature and tasteless.

This is one of those mysterious ingredients I’ve seen growing up as a child and consumer of Chinese cuisine, but it was more commonly seen in banquet dishes (as well as New Year’s) and was paired with black mushrooms.

Black moss in Chinese culture is a popular ingredient to use to bring you luck because of the sound of the name, although it literally translates to “hair vegetable”. The translation to bring you wealth is really “explode wealth”, meaning the sound of the name of this ingredient sounds like that phrase.

My mom has also told me that “the more you eat it, it’ll help you keep your hair black”. I’ve only made it a few times in both soups and stews and it’s not that difficult once you have figured out your flavour profile. They go super tasty with oyster sauce, but if you wanted to go vegetarian, you can use hoisin sauce instead!

It’s actually a type of bacteria that is dried to give the appearance of hair. It’s grown and harvested primarily in China. There have been some controversy around the authenticity of black moss because it’s been known to that some can be fake, especially when the prices go up during New Year’s. Just be sure you’re buying from a reputable source.

How do I prepare it?

To use hair moss, you rinse in cool water, drain, and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. It doesn’t get particularly soft over time in the water and will soften in heat. Use directly in soups or stews, as this what they are best used for.

To store, keep them in a dry, cool place. They have a very long shelf life so long as they are kept dried.

Where can I buy it and cost?

Black moss is available in most Asian supermarkets and wet mart at the dried food vendors
They come prepackaged in a plastic bag (to keep them dry)
The cost for black moss has a pretty wide range.

Some known precautions:

Be sure to buy from a reputable source as there are cases where they is fake black moss (the color also runs off)
There is also not a lot of known nutritional value in black moss
It is not an easily digest-able product. Try it! A lot of passes through the same way it went in 🙂

Some tips for using black moss:

I tend to let it soak a little bit longer (just to check its authenticity)
Black moss doesn’t have flavour itself, but does absorb the flavour of your soup or sauce, so let it bubble a bit to soak in those flavours

Looking to build your basic Chinese Soup Pantry?

Check it out in my video to learn more!

EXPLORE MORE

What soup to make? Here’s how I decide what Chinese soups to make…

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH SOUP TO MAKE? HERE's MY DECISION MAKING PROCESS WHEN DECIDING WHAT SOUP TO MAKE!There's no exact science to this, but guided by a combination of 4 factors that I consider: The consumer, conditions, preferences, and external factors. One guiding...

Fat Choy or Black Moss

EXPLORE MORE

Blue Dates

EXPLORE MORE

Recent Posts