Third world counties that haven't adopted modern farming techniques are often
gold mines for discovering heirloom seeds. Many Asian counties have been
growing the same vegetables from saved seed since well before it would have
been documented. Asian cuisines are increasingly popular in North America.
We've branched out from take out Chinese to sushi to Vietnamese, Burmese,...
Oddly, as much as we like eating Asian cuisines, they aren't often
prepared in our homes. Many of us who have tried cooking our favorites,
have been disappointed because they don't taste like in the restaurant. It's
as thought they've left out the secret ingredient. Of course, most
of us have never had true "home cooked" Asian food, so maybe the recipe turned
out right and what we got at the restaurant was just what they prepare for
American palettes. There's a thought.
I have the treat of volunteering in a community vegetable garden along with
a Chinese woman - who happens to be a cookbook author and cooking instructor.
One day she pulled her portable wok right into the garden and steamed
some freshly picked soy beans (edamame) for us all. We stood out in
the sun amongst the plants and ate them with our hands, right out of the
pods. Before then I would never have considered doing something so simple
and so delicious.
So maybe we just haven't had the right ingredients. Although markets
are improving daily with their selection of produce, Asian vegetables
can very easily be grown in most home gardens. Often the real trick
is knowing what a vegetable is called in the country of the cuisine you are
attempting. Luckily seed companies are beginning to showcase Asian
vegetables in their own sections, with helpful descriptions. Below
I've listed some great varieties to get you started.
Beans
If you like green beans, you have to try Asparagus or Yard Long Beans . Pick them before they get to be yard long, for the most tender, fresh eating. They are pencil thin and the flavor is not entirely like green snap beans and not entirely like asparagus.
Soy beans have never gotten the respect they deserve in America, but they are a staple of many Asian cuisines and have been grown since before recorded history. They are used like a shell bean and, as I mentioned above, can be steamed in the pod for a quick snack. You'll often find them simply listed as edamame.
Azuki Beans might sound familiar. They
