Full Answer
What does Chinese squash taste like?
Flavor profile: It has a mild, sweet flavor; it's also low in calories and high in fiber. Cuisine connection: Used primarily in Chinese cuisine in soups and stir-fry.
Can you eat Chinese squash raw?
Prepare Chinese squash as you would summer squash or zucchini; steam or sautee, roast, add to soups or stews, or simply eat it raw (remove fuzzy white hairs from immature moqua before eating).
What is Chinese Long squash?
Opo Squash, or “Chinese Long Squash' or 瓠子hù zǐ, is a native Chinese and Southeast Asian squash similar to a zucchini. Belonging to the gourd family, it has pale green skin, white flesh and very mild flavor. The humble vegetable is a great source of fiber and provides rich vitamins and minerals.
What is Chinese winter squash?
A variety of Asian squash that is popular in China and Japan, as well as many other countries. It is typically a larger variety squash that has a waxy dark green speckled skin that contains tiny prickly hairs. The outer skin covers a white firm inner flesh.
Do you peel Chinese squash?
Its skin is edible, as are the vegetable's seeds and stems. This squash can be served as a side dish and is a very popular ingredient in a number of Asian recipes. Popular cooking methods for this type of squash include grilling, roasting, baking, stir-frying, and stewing.
How do you eat Chinese Long squash?
Peel off the skin with a knife or a peeler. Slice the squash in half lengthways and remove any mature seeds. You can then cut it into slices to roast, steam, use in stir-fries, or cubes to add to soups and stews. This squash retains its firmness when it is cooked, making it ideal for many applications.
Is Chinese hairy melon same as zucchini?
Fuzzy melon (also called mo gwa or mo qua) is a fruit native to China. It's also grown in Southeast Asia and other warm climates, including California and Florida. Fuzzy melon is an edible gourd and immature winter melon that looks like a fuzzy zucchini.
What is another name for chayote squash?
The chayote goes by many names: “custard marrow,” “vegetable pear” and “mirliton” — the latter used extensively in Louisiana. Others call it “christophine,” “choko,” “iskut,” “mango squash,” “xuxu” and “machuchu.”
What is Japanese squash called?
Kabocha Squash, also known as Japanese Squash or Japanese Pumpkin, is a lesser-known squash perfect for roasting, steaming, stuffing, and pureeing.
What's the best tasting winter squash?
Best-Tasting Winter SquashSunshine Kabocha Squash.Cream of the Crop Acorn Squash.Baby Pam Pumpkin.Butternut squash have some of the best flavor of all!Delicata Squash.
What is another name for winter squash?
winter squash winter crookn... cushaw turban squash hubbard squash butternut squ... acorn squash any of variou... cushaw Cucurbita mixta Cucurbita arg......winter squash.DisplayONAnimationON
What does Chinese winter melon taste like?
What Does It Taste Like? Mature winter melon has a very mild taste, while the immature fruit is sweet. It's often compared to the taste of cucumber, with a refreshing, almost grassy flavor.
What squash can be eaten raw?
Squash. Like summer squash or courgettes, winter squash can also be eaten raw. Butternut squash can be sliced into layers in a raw lasagna or ravioli. It can be spiralized or blended as a raw alternative to pumpkin puree for a raw pumpkin pie or in a smoothie.
Can Chinese vegetables be eaten raw?
> Chinese don't eat raw foods at all, and especially not vegetables, which they correctly (by the standards of Chinatown produce) view as being unsanitary until thoroughly cooked.
Is eating raw squash Safe?
Yes, it's okay to eat spaghetti squash raw. Although yellow squash and zucchini are the most popular raw squash, you can eat other squash type raw. Squash, specifically, raw pumpkin, can be rough, so thinly slice it before cooking. Serve this with a delicious sauce if you're going to eat it.
Can the chayote squash get eaten raw?
Chayote is technically a fruit, but it's prepared and eaten like a vegetable. You can prepare the food like you would prepare other kinds of squash. Some ways to enjoy chayote include: Eating raw chayote like you would eat cucumber or celery.
From Bitter Melon to Silk Squash
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
A Variety of Tastes and Textures
Chinese vegetables come in a variety of intriguing shapes, sizes, and textures, from a bumpy cucumber-like melon to a green-colored bean that can be 1 foot long. Each has its own unique taste and is used in several types of traditional recipes. Learn how to select, cook, store, and prepare these interesting vegetables.
Bamboo Shoots
As the name implies, bamboo shoots are the edible shoots of the bamboo plant, which is native to Asia. They are cut from the plant once they appear above the ground to preserve their tenderness and because if they are left to grow exposed, they will turn a green color.
Bitter Melon
Bitter melon is known for its striking appearance and taste. This Chinese gourd resembles a cucumber with a dark green, bumpy, pockmarked skin. As the name implies, it has a rather bitter taste; however, this can be lessened by blanching or degorging the melon with salt.
Bok Choy
China's most popular vegetable, bok choy, has a light, sweet flavor and crisp texture. It is a type of cabbage but instead of a tightly packed head the leaves are in a cluster, giving the vegetable a shape similar to celery. Bok choy (also called pak choi) is used to enhance everything from potstickers to soups to stir-fries .
Chinese Broccoli
The Chinese version of broccoli is a leafy green plant with small white flowers. It has a thick stem with flat leaves and very small florets, giving it a different appearance from regular broccoli.
Chinese Celery
Regular celery can seem a little boring once you've tried Chinese celery. Originating from a wild celery native to Asia, Chinese celery has a significant flavor that adds extra taste to soups and stir-fries. It is not recommended in raw salads though, as its strong flavor may overpower other ingredients; cooking this vegetable mellows the flavor.
Common Types of Winter Squash
When it comes to winter squash, there are a dozen common varieties readily available. Winter squash is harvested in the summer, but gets its name based on how long it will keep.
Common Types of Summer Squash
While yellow squash and zucchini squash can be found in the grocery store most of the year, summer brings new varieties of squash too. The major difference between summer and winter squash is their time on the vine.
1. Opo Squash
Alternate Names: Nam tao, bottle gourd, cucuzza squash, calabash, yugao, long squash, bau, Italian edible gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, snake gourd, po gua, kwa kwa, upo, dudi
2. Taro Root
Alternate Names: Cocoyam, arrow root, kalo, dasheen, sato imo, gabi, patra, woo tau
3. Lotus Root
Characteristics: The lotus root looks like a chain of giant pods connected to one another. Crunchy, with a tinge of sweetness, the vegetable can be prepared in a variety of ways—fried, sautéed, steamed, boiled—without losing its firmness, making it an ideal snappy texture for dishes such as salads.
4. Daikon Radish
Characteristics: A daikon radish should be free of blemishes and not soft and pliable. In Korea, cubed daikon radish is used to make kkakdugi, a type of kimchi. Its mild taste makes it an excellent palate cleanser. In Japan, strings of daikon marinated in vinegar typically accompany sashimi.
5. Japanese Eggplant
Characteristics: This particular variety of eggplant is longer, thinner-skinned, and has a more uniform thickness than other eggplant varieties, which are often round and bulbous. Japanese eggplants tend to taste sweet and mild but will still turn more bitter as they get older, so try to use them as soon as you purchase them.
6. Lemongrass
Alternate Names: Citronella grass, bhustrina, sere, fever grass, hierba de limón, serai, takrai
7. Napa Cabbage
Alternate Names: Chinese cabbage, celery cabbage, baechu, Peking cabbage, hakusai, michihli
