Dear Vixen,
I was eating my lunch the other day. It was chop suey from a local Chinese place. I found myself wondering, what the heck am I eating? What are bean sprouts anyway? Are they really sprouts? What kind of bean? And what's a water chestnut for that matter? I've been eating the stuff once a week for years and this never occurred to me. Now, I really want to know. What are they?
Stan, Chicago
Dear Stan,
Glad you asked. Bean sprout is a generic term referring to the tender first shoots of various germinated beans and seeds. Sprouts from everything from broccoli to fenugreek can be found at farmer's markets around the country. Each has it's own texture and taste, derived from the bean or seed that it sprouts from. They are best eaten raw so they maintain their great crunchy texture. Mung beans are the most commonly available bean sprout and are the ones most often used in Chinese stir fries. They are cooked for only a very short time (up to 30 seconds) or they will loose their nice crisp texture. They are also used in salads where they are eaten raw. When purchasing mung bean sprouts, look for crisp white sprouts with the pale green bean still attached. If there is any mustiness or sliminess to them, don't buy them. Once purchased, store in the refrigerator and use within 2 days.
The water chestnut is a small tuber or corm from an edible water plant which is grown in muddy waters.It is native to Southeast Asia. When fresh they have a brown shiny outer peel, which is removed to reveal the white moist crunchy flesh that is slightly sweet to the taste. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They are often added to stir fries, salads and soups to add crunch. Fresh water chestnuts have a clean flavor that is lost when they are canned. They will store for up to one week in the refrigerator if kept tightly wrapped in plastic. The best place to look for fresh water chestnuts is your local Chinese market. Canned water chestnuts are available at most grocery stores. They come whole or sliced. When using canned water chestnuts, refrigerate the unused portion in water to keep them moist. There, mystery solved!
Here are a few links to some recipes to use your newly re-discovered ingredients:
- Stir fried bean sprouts by themselves make a great side dish.
- This interesting dish combines cucumbers
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