Sunday, January 18, 2009

Chinese Cabbage




This is generally called Chinese cabbage. In San Francisco, they call it Napa cabbage. I think is is because the Chinese there grew them in Napa Valley.  My Dad used to call them in my dialect, WON NGOU BAK. The Korean call them baechu, and is the main ingredient for their famous Kimchi. The Japanese call them hakusai. Unlike the ordinary cabbage which is rounded, the Chinese cabbage is enlongated. 

I do a quick fry, chopped in strips, it cooks much quicker than the ordinary cabbage because the cook very quickly. I also use it to make my special stuffed cabbage roll. Instead of using pastry, I quickly blanch the leaves of the cabbage, and use the to wrap minced meat. Then you steam them for about ten minutes. If you go for Dim Sum restaurants, you may see them in specialty restaurants. Not all restaurants sell them, because it is considered a delicacy. It is similar to the grape leaves roll.

This is the main ingredient that the Northern chinese use for their dumplings. My friend AW taught me how to make it.

My Korean friend T taught me to make Kimchi. D and I love them. The Water engineer thinks they stink. I think it is the garlic he is complaining.

I use the premature plants from my garden the way I would used as a BOK CHOY, or Chinese green. The ones on the pix are too old, I put them in my compost bin.

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