dining feature
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A GUIDE TO BEIJING’S SQUASHES by Marissa Kennedy
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our friendly neighborhood wet market offers delicious varieties of delectable gourds that are not only flavorful, but also easy on the pocket. Every wet market you go to, no matter the level of veggie expertise or varieties available, it seems anything vaguely squash or gourd-like in shape is given the name “nangua.” Whether it be small or large, green or orange, long or stout, the name is used to describe a good third of the large starchy vegetable category. How can we even begin to differentiate between them? Is there hope for us in our current state of pump-kinfusion? Nangua is literally translated “southern gourd” because it was introduced first in the southern part of China. The green-skinned variety is more prevalent in southern provinces and therefore is given the standard name. However, up here in the North, the plump orange or elongated brown variety is also called nangua. Would a nangua by any other name taste as sweet?
WINTER MELON dōng guā (冬瓜) Don’t let the English name fool you, this is a root vegetable that switches from sweet to savory depending on when it’s harvested. Costing roughly RMB 1.5 per jin, it has a shelf life of up to 12 months. You’ll see the iridescent white flesh popping up in noodle broth, tossed into stir-fries (chǎo cài 炒菜) at your neighborhood stands and even candied into a sweet treat (táng dōng guā 糖冬瓜).
WHITE ZUCCHINI xī hú lú (西葫芦) This veggie is much smaller in comparison to its aforementioned big brothers and is a cross between a gourd and a zucchini. Its skin is more pliable and can be eaten after minimal cooking. It is mostly found as a replacement for cucumber or sliced and cooked with eggs (xī hú lú chǎo jī dàn 西葫芦炒鸡蛋) and diced with old favorite (gōng bào jī dīng 宫爆鸡丁). (RMB 2 per jin)
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February 2014