Asian Vegetable & Herb Guide

Amaranth Amaranthus tricolor Asian Basil Ocimum basilicum Bitter Melon Ceylon Spinach Basella alba Chinese Broccoli English Chinese spinach, English Thai basil, sweet basil Momordica charantia English malabar spinach, Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra edible amaranth Chinese hsiang tsai English bitter gourd, slippery vegetable English Chinese kale, white Chinese een choi Bahasa selaseh balsam pear Chinese saan choi flowering broccoli Bahasa bayam Thai horapa Chinese foo gwa Bahasa remayong, Chinese gai lan Thai phak khom suan This is a tropical variety of sweet Bahasa peria Thai phak plang Thai pak khana Greek vlita (green variety) basil and is recognizable by its Thai mara A tropical vine that can reach One of the most common Asian A mild tasting annual plant, the purple stems and flower spikes This pale green vegetable covered a height of 10 metres. Only the vegetables, it is cultivated for its most common variety having and distinct aniseed perfume. in warts is eaten when firm and not leaves and young stems are eaten; young flowering stems and young red centred leaves. (There is also It figures prominently in Thai fully ripe. It is favoured throughout they are used in salads, steamed leaves. Ideally buy and use while a smaller leafed green variety curries and seafood stir-fries and Asia for its body-cooling properties. and cooked in soups, in much the flower heads are tightly closed. available in summer). It is widely is added to Vietnamese salads It is salted or blanched to remove the same way as spinach. It has It is most commonly blanched available and cooked in much the and soups, particularly pho. some of its bitterness and stir-fried or a mucilaginous texture like okra, or stir-fried. It is delicious served same way as spinach. Both its braised with meat. It can be stuffed hence its name slippery vegetable. with oyster sauce. leaves and stalks can be stir-fried. with pork and served in broth, It can also be blanched and curried, pickled or boiled. Southern seasoned with salt, olive oil and Indians salt and dry it. The tender lemon juice as a cooked salad. leaves and stems of this vine can be cooked in soup or stir-fried.

Chinese Cabbage Chinese Flowering Cabbage Chinese Celery Chinese Chard Shanghai Chinese Chard Brassica rapa var. pekinensis Brassica rapa var. parachinensis Apium graveolens var. dulce Brassica rapa var. chinensis Brassica rapa var. chinensis English Peking cabbage, English Chinese flowering English Chinese celery English Chinese white cabbage English Shanghai Chinese chard Napa cabbage cabbage Chinese kun choi Chinese bok choi Chinese Shanghai bok choi Chinese wong nga baak Chinese choi sum Bahasa daun saderi Thai phakkaat farang A pale green, sweet and delicate Japanese hakusai Thai pak kwang tung Thai kuen chai This type of bok choi has white member of the cabbage family, Thai phak kwaang tung This is the most common of Asian Arabic karfas stems and dark green leaves just this is one of the most popular Pale green and elongated in shape, greens. It is sold in bunches with Darker in colour and smaller than like western chard. It needs careful Chinese vegetables, especially this can be used in all the same smooth bright green stems and Western celery, this plant could washing as there is often sand in its young form (baby bok choi). ways as regular cabbage but elongated leaves with clusters be mistaken for continental parsley between the bases of the leaves. It needs careful washing as there it has a milder and sweeter flavour. of yellow flowers. It needs only were it not for its strong celery It can be blanched, stir fried, eaten is often sand between the bases It can be used raw in coleslaws brief cooking to wilt the leaves flavour. Its leaves and stalks can on its own or added to soups. of the leaves. It can be blanched, and shredded for use in soups and and keep the stems firm but tender. be added to meat soups or stir-fries. stir fried, eaten on its own or stir-fries.The large leaves can also Most commonly blanched and The leaves are also used together added to soups. be blanched and stuffed with meat served with oyster sauce, it can with parsley and mint in many or other fillings. also be stir-fried or sliced and Middle Eastern dishes. added to soups. Coriander Curry Leaves Fish plant Houttuynia cordata Galangal Alpinia galanga Garland Chrysanthemum Coriandrum sativum Murraya koenigii English fish plant, fishwort, English Siamese ginger, Chrysanthemum coronarium English coriander, cilantro English Indian curry leaves heart leaf, galangal, galingale English chrysanthemum greens, Chinese uen sai Bahasa daun kari chameleon plant Chinese hang dou kou edible chrysanthemum Thai pak chee Hindi meetha neem Chinese ji cai Bahasa lengkuas Japanese shungiku Also known as Chinese parsley Sri Lanka karapincha Thai phak kao thong Thai kha Chinese tong ho or cilantro, the fresh stems and Dark green tapered leaves growing This plant has a heart-shaped An aromatic rhizome of the ginger The young leaves may be eaten leaves of the coriander plant are along a central stem, they have leaf with a fishy smell and a slightly family, galangal should be bought raw but are usually stir-fried or widely used to garnish soups, an unmistakable fragrance and are sour flavour. Eaten raw as part when pink and fresh. Used widely used as the leafy ingredient in salads and cooked dishes. The root used mainly in South Indian and of table salad, it is said to ease in South East Asia, it is an essential simple soups. They also feature of the plant is cleaned and pounded Sri Lankan dishes.They are usually stomach cramps and to be ingredient in Thai curry pastes and in Japanese sukyaki and clear into Thai flavour bases for soups fried in oil with other spices before especially beneficial for women. Tom Yam soups. It is used with fish soups. Cook briefly as they and stirfries as well as curry adding the other ingredients in North Vietnam. To store, wrap become bitter if overcooked. pastes. It is an essential herb in to the dish. in paper towel and keep in a plastic The flowers of these edible Moroccan and Mexican cuisines. bag. Do not refrigerate as this species are dried and infused causes it to blacken and become as an herbal tea. tough and hard to cut.

Garlic Chives Flowering Garlic Chives Ginger Zingiber officinale Green Mango Green Papaya Carica papaya Allium tuberosum Allium tuberosum English ginger Mangifera indica English green papaya English Chinese leek, English flowering Chinese Chinese geung English green mango Chinese muk gwa Chinese chives leek, flowering Bahasa halia Thai mamuang dib Thai malakor dib Chinese gau choi Chinese chives Thai khing Green mango is the unripe fruit The large torpedo shaped papaya Thai kuichai Chinese gau choi fah This aromatic tuber is often used of certain varieties of mango – variety is used unripe, its flesh cut Characterised by their flat, garlic- These are the round, flower with garlic and chilli as a flavour especially the fragrant Thai Nam into long shreds and seasoned flavoured leaves, these chives are bearing stems of the garlic base for fish marinades or shredded Doc Mai. It is fragrant and as a salad vegetable. In North East used as a garnish in Vietnamese chive plant. They are usually together with spring onions and pungently sour. Thinly sliced, Thailand and Laos it is pounded rice paper rolls, as an addition added to stir-fries. coriander as a garnish for steamed it is eaten with salt and chilli and heavily seasoned with chilli, sugar and fish sauce with peanuts, to soups and to Thai noodle dishes. fish. It is also often used as an throughout South East Asia. They are also an essential element aromatic element in chicken and It can be shredded and combined snake beans and tomatoes as an accompaniment to the staple sticky in Chinese chive pancakes and meat soups. It can be finely julienned with herbs and fresh or dried rice. Green papaya can also be omelettes. and added raw to salads or sweet shrimp, squid or fish and served pickled with fish or shrimp. When dishes and ginger flavoured syrup is as a salad. ripe, its flesh is yellow and edible poured over silken tofu as a dessert. as a fruit although it has a somewhat Ginger juice is obtained by finely unpleasant smell. Cantonese use grating on a porcelain grater – the semi ripe fruit in both sweet especially in Japanese recipes. and savoury soups.

Green Radish Holy Basil Ocimum sanctum Hot Mint Polygonum odoratum Jicama Pachyrhizus erosus Kaffir Lime Citrus hystrix Raphanus sativus Hindi tulsi English laksa leaves, Vietnamese English jicama, yam bean English makrut, kaffir lime var. longipinnatus Thai gaprow mint Chinese sa got Bahasa limau purut English green oriental radish A species of basil native to India Bahasa daun kesum Bahasa bangkuang Thai makrut Chinese cheng loh baak where it is considered a holy plant Thai pak phai Thai man gaeo A highly aromatic member of the A green version of the daikon and used in Ayurvedic medicine. Not a true mint, this plant has long, A native of South America, the citrus family, the kaffir lime has or white radish, it is used mainly It has soft, slightly hairy leaves and pointed green leaves and distinctive jicama has white, sweet, crisp glossy double leaves and bumpy as a soup vegetable. either purple or green stems and purple markings. It has a pungent flesh. It can be eaten raw as a fruit dark green fruit. The grated rind of flowers. It has a distinct clove-like flavour and is used as part of the or cooked in the same way as the the fruit is used in most Thai curry fragrance when it is cooked and is table salad and as a complement water chestnut for which it can pastes. The finely shredded leaves most commonly used stir-fried with to strongly flavoured foods such as be substituted. Grated jicama is add their exquisite fragrance to chicken, chilli and garlic, crisp fried preserved duck eggs. It is commonly a traditional ingredient in Nyonya salads, soups and curries. Both as a garnish for Thai fishcakes and known as Vietnamese mint having po piah rolls. Use in fruit salads the leaves and fruit can be frozen catfish curry or in certain soups. been introduced into the West by as a crisp substitute for apple in a tightly sealed container. It is It is best stored in a plastic bag Vietnamese communities. It is eaten or pear as it does not discolour most often known by its Thai name with a piece of paper towel to absorb makrut, as kaffir is a derogatory throughout South East Asia and is as quickly. moisture. If refrigerated, it becomes essential to Nyonya laksa noodle soup. term for unbeliever in Arabic. black and slimy very quickly.

For further information log on free to: www.marketfresh.com.au © Melbourne Markets Authority 2005 Published by Melbourne Markets in 2005. This guide has been produced with information provided by Meera Freeman. Distributed by your friendly, local greengrocer. La Lot Piper sarmentosum Lemon Grass Long Coriander Lotus Root Nelumbo nucifera Bamboo Mustard Green English wild betel Cymbopogon citratus Eryngium foetidum English lotus root Brassica juncea var. foliosa Bahasa daun kadok English lemon grass English long coriander, Chinese lin, leen ngau, lianou English leaf mustard, Thai bai chaplu Chinese heong mau saw leaf herb, culantro Bahasa ubi teratai bamboo mustard These deeply veined, shiny, Bahasa serai Thai pak chee farang Thai rak bua Chinese chuk gaai choi heart shaped leaves are used raw Thai takrai This herb, native to the Caribbean The rhizome of the royal lotus, This leafy green has a strong or cooked. The Thais wrap them This grass-like herb is easy to grow Islands but now found throughout it is sold in joined links, looking mustard flavour. If stirfrying, around sweet coconut and sugar in temperate and tropical climates Central America and South East a little like sausages. It has a sweet it should first be parboiled. paste with pieces of chilli, roasted and is an essential flavour in South Asia has an exquisite aroma taste and crisp texture, which It can then be stir fried with coconut and peanuts, dried shrimp, East Asian cooking. It is commonly akin to that of coriander. It is used is maintained when cooked. The meat or chicken or on its own lime and shallots. The Vietnamese found in Vietnamese dishes stir- as a garnish for Vietnamese soups rhizome has hollow areas so that with oyster sauce. wrap them around beef seasoned fried with garlic and chilli. It is also and may also be shredded as when it is sliced, it reveals a lace with lemongrass and grill them. chopped finely and added to many a garnish for cooked dishes and like pattern. Lotus roots are generally They are sometimes shredded marinades as well as curry pastes salads, especially the Northern blanched to avoid discolouration and cooked in soups or made and soups. Thai and Lao larbs. before being stir-fried, steamed, into a drink to combat fever. braised or sautéed. When eaten raw, they provide a somewhat fibrous texture. They can also be candied like the seeds of the same plant.

Swatow Mustard Green Okra Hibiscus esculentus Pandanus Pea Eggplant Solanum torvum Pea Shoots Pisum sativum Brassica juncea var. rugosa English lady’s fingers Pandanus amaryllifolius roxb. Thai makheua puang English pea shoots English swatow mustard Chinese huang qiu kui, English pandan, fragrant These pea-sized berries of the Chinese dau miu cabbage yong kok dau screwpine nightshade plant grow in clusters Thai pak tua lan tao Chinese daai gaai choi Bahasa bendi Bahasa daun pandan and have a slightly bitter taste. The young tendrils and leaves of Bahasa sawi pahit Thai krachiap Thai toei horm They are eaten raw with Thai the snow pea plant have a delicate Thai phakkat-khieo A native of Africa, this plant This spear shaped leaf has a nutty shrimp and chilli pastes and added pea flavour. They can be simply This vegetable has large curved accompanied the slave trade to flavour and is used to flavour to Thai green and jungle curries. blanched or sautéed with oil and leaf stems. It is sometimes its destinations. The edible pods desserts. When crushed, it can garlic or served raw in salads. used in hot-pot dishes and soups are harvested when young and be used as a green colouring but it is most commonly pickled small in size. Over large pods agent and is available fresh, frozen, in brine or in vinegar and become tough and stringy. When canned or in essence form. The eaten as an accompaniment simmered in stews, okra lends pale green, jellies, cakes and soy to bland dishes. a mucilaginous quality to the dish. drinks in Asian food stores are If they are briefly cooked in soups coloured and flavoured with pandan. and curries, they retain their crisp Fresh leaves can be knotted and texture. They are also good fried added to cooking oil or steaming in batter as in tempura. sticky rice. They are also wrapped around chicken pieces and grilled. Pennywort Centella asiatica Perilla Perilla frutescens Rice Paddy Herb Ridged Luffa Luffa acutangula Shallots English Indian pennywort English beefsteak plant, shiso Limnophila aromatica English angled luffa, ridged Allium cepa var. aggregatum Thai bua bok Chinese gee so, jen English rice paddy herb, gourd, Chinese okra English echalot Indian pennywort is a perennial Japanese shiso (green), finger grass Chinese sze gwa Chinese ts’ung tau wild creeper with soft kidney aka shiso (red) Thai phak kayaeng Bahasa petola Thai horm daeng, horm lek shaped leaves. It is reputed to Perilla comes in both red and This tropical aquatic plant has Thai buop liam These small red onions have have body-cooling properties and green varieties, the red being more soft, pointy light-green leaves The fruit of a tropical vine. The long a crisp texture and delicious, to ease arthritic pain. In Thailand common in Australia. The leaves on a fleshy stem. Its fragrance spongy fruit has 10 sharp ridges mild flavour somewhere between and Vietnam the leaves are blended are rich in calcium and iron and are is not unlike that of cumin and along its length. It has a mild onion and garlic. They can with sugar syrup and crushed ice often found in bunches of mixed it is used as an essential flavouring flavour. To cook, the ridges can be pounded into flavour bases to make a refreshing drink. They herbs in Vietnamese supermarkets. in Southern Vietnamese sour fish be removed with a vegetable peeler for soups, marinades and curry can also be cooked into simple The Japanese use the red variety soups and Vietnamese curries. and then the gourd can be cut pastes, sliced and used fresh soups with dried or fresh prawns to colour umeboshi plums and into sections and cooked in soup in salads or dried and crisp-fried or eaten raw as part of a salad. pickled ginger and use the leaves or curry. It absorbs other flavours for use as a fragrant garnish, as a garnish or seasoning in their and combines well with fatty especially for soups or rice crepes. cooking. The Vietnamese use meats such as duck. Crisp-fried shallots are available shredded leaves in chicken salads commercially. or eat them raw as a fragrant herb or for wrapping grilled meats.

Snake bean Spearmint Sponge Luffa Luffa cylindrica Sweet Potato Ipomoea batatas Taro Colocasia esculenta Vigna unguiculata subsp. Mentha viridis, M. spicata English smooth luffa, English sweet potato English taro, dasheen sesquipedalis English spearmint sponge gourd, Chinese faan sue Chinese woo tau English long bean, yard long This hardy perennial plant has vegetable / bonnet gourd Bahasa ubi keledek Bahasa ubi keladi bean, snake bean slightly crinkled leaves that are Chinese seui gua Thai man thet Thai peuak Chinese dau gok more tapered and a lighter shade Thai buop horm Sweet potato is a perennial vine The cream-to-mauve flesh of Bahasa kacang panjang of green than common mint. Sponge luffa is a tropical running of the morning glory family native this starchy root is usually boiled Thai tua fak yao It is often included in the mixed vine. Its fruits are smooth and to South America. It is cultivated and incorporated into both sweet Arabic loubia bunches of Vietnamese herbs. cylindrical with pale striped skin. throughout South East Asia for both and savoury dishes. As the skin This long, thin bean has a dry texture Spearmint leaves can be infused Young gourds can be cooked its leaves and tuber. Several types of the taro contains the toxin, and mild bean flavour. Young tender and used in tea. The oil is also in the same way as zucchini or are grown with skin color ranging calcium oxalate, it must be peeled beans are usually cut into short used in confectionery. other marrows. It is mostly grown from orange to purple and white. before use. A flour is made from lengths and stir fried. Cut into thin for its stringy interior which, when The orange type has fine-grained dried slices of taro, while the slices they can be added to minced dried, forms the well-known luffa flesh that is sweet and moist when stems of some varieties are added fish, red curry paste and kaffir lime body scrubber. cooked, similar to pumpkin, while to soups and curries. leaves to form Thai fish cakes and the purple and white varieties have also cooked in soups and curries. a drier, mealy texture after cooking. The long bean figures in Iraqi cuisine.

Taro Shoots Thai Round Eggplant Turmeric Water Convolvulus White Radish Colocasia esculenta Solanum undatum Curcuma domestica, C. longa Ipomea aquatica Raphanus sativus English taro stems Thai makheua pro English turmeric English water spinach, English daikon, long white Chinese woo hap Grown in a variety of colours Bahasa kunyit swamp cabbage radish Thai born ranging from white through green Thai khamin Chinese ong choi, Chinese loh baak, Taro shoots are the stems to purple, these are widely used A member of the ginger family, Bahasa kangkong Thai hua chai tau of certain species of colocasia. in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. turmeric is used in many dishes Thai pak boong jin A pungent root commonly found The stems and leaves are used in They are eaten raw with shrimp for both its flavour and bright A member of the morning glory grated raw in Japanese dishes. It South East Asia and the Caribbean. paste or cut in pieces and added yellow colour. It is pounded into family, it has hollow stems and is added to salads and often pickled. The stems have an aerated texture to curries. They are also pickled. marinades, especially for fish and arrow-shaped leaves. It is stir-fried When cooked in soup stocks and and fine skin that should be peeled is the main colorant in commercial as a vegetable or added to soups. meat stews, it becomes tender and off before using. They form an curry powders. The shredded stems are used as sweet. It is also preserved in salt essential ingredient in Southern a garnish with North Vietnamese until it shrinks, turns brown and Vietnamese sour fish soup and are soups. It is popular all over South develops a chewy consistency. also a pleasant addition to Thai East Asia where it is generally stir- It is then washed and cut into small green curries. fried – with shrimp paste in Malaysia, pieces and eaten as a complement or chillies and garlic in Thailand. to bland rice and noodle dishes.

For further information log on free to: www.marketfresh.com.au © Melbourne Markets Authority 2005 Published by Melbourne Markets in 2005. This guide has been produced with information provided by Meera Freeman. Distributed by your friendly, local greengrocer.