Author Archives: r

Daikon radish is a very large, white, mild, East Asian radish resembling a large, white carrot. The flavor is not as zippy as a standard, small radish. It’s crisp and juicy, and great eaten raw, pickled, or used in soup. Daikon aids in digestion and is high in vitamin C.

Cucuzza is a long, skinny, pale green edible gourd that can grow up to three feet long. The white, pulpy flesh has many seeds in the center, similar to a cucumber and has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. The cucuzza can be sliced and fried or sauteed, steamed or microwaved. The cucuzza makes a greatContinue reading “Cucuzza”

Next to kale, collards are one of the healthiest greens you can eat. They are an excellent source of folate, vitamin C and beta-carotene while also being high in calcium (source). More information about collards.

Chinese Okra is formally known as luffa. It is a subtropical vine and member of the family Cucurbitaceae along with gourds, melons and cucumbers. It is similar to common okra in color and shape. It is elongated with strongly ridged green skin and tapered ends and usually harvested at six to eight inches when itContinue reading “Chinese Okra”

Chinese Long Beans: These are not pretty. In fact, they’re downright weird looking, all long and skinny and light green. Their flavor is a cross between green bean and asparagus, and you can use them pretty much any way you would use asparagus. Steam them, stir fry them, put them on pizza or in aContinue reading “Chinese Long Beans”

Chinese Broccoli, or Choi Sum is a Chinese cabbage. The entire plant can be eaten, including the tender stalks and flowers. The flavor is reminiscent of a sweet, juicy broccoli. These are just delicious. All they need is a light stir fry or steam, and maybe a dash of vinegar to finish them. It’s anContinue reading “Chinese Broccoli”

Celeriac is a large, knobby white bulb with skinny celery stalks attached to the top. It’s also known as celery root and is a type of celery grown as a root vegetable for its large bulb instead of its leaves. It has a starchy consistency (but is not a starch) with a celery/parsley flavor. TheContinue reading “Celeriac”

Cauliflower is another Brassica. Typically only the white head is eaten, though the leaves are actually delicious too and very similar to collard greens. Cauliflower can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, sautéed, roasted, in soups, and is an excellent addition to curry. It’s high in dietary fiber, folate, vitamin C, and has similar cancer fightingContinue reading “Cauliflower”

Candy Onions are a sweet white onion with a pleasing round shape. Mix them with those cucumbers, some balsamic, some oil and fresh herbs for a tasty salad. Grill them up and eat them as a side. Sauté them with your squash and some butter. You won’t be disappointed.

Callaloo, also called Jamaican Spinach or vegetable amaranth, is slightly more dense than spinach—more towards Swiss chard—with a pleasant, mild earthy flavor. Prepare your Callaloo by washing it, pulling off the outer skin of the stem like you would celery, and then chop the entire stem and leaves together. Sauté with onion, green pepper, tomato,Continue reading “Callaloo”