Ranging from south east Asian to Japan and Canada we’ve compiled another list of the
top 10 vegetables you’ve never heard of part 3.
Number ten, Dragon bamboo
Found in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar and Indonesia the Dragon Bamboo, Giant
Bamboo, or Sweet bamboo is one of the largest species of bamboo in the world.(that’s a
lot of bamboo) This greenish-grey colored bamboo that grows in clumps up to 98 feet
or 30 meters tall is capable of prolific growth, up to 16 inches or 40 cm per day. Cultivated
at low and high altitudes along river banks the dragon bamboo will produce purplish young
shoots which are edible when cooked with no bitterness. In order for them to be tasty
and edible they need to be harvested before they poke through the top surface layer of
soil. Tender and sweet when cooked, pickled or preserved the dragon bamboo has been used
as a macaroni substitute by cutting it into strips. After peeling away the shoot which
we see here on a different variety I just tried out, about ⅓ of the total bamboo shoot
is edible. Each shoot weighs around 12 lbs or 5.4 kgs and after peeled the edible portion
left is about 4 lbs or 1.8 kg. A highly desired bamboo for their tender edible shoots, the
dragon bamboo was at one point highly sought after by the food industry which led to a
rapid decline of it in the wild. Minimal conservation and reforestation efforts wiped out most of
it from nature which led to a new protocol to help repopulate it. Today still recovering
from greedy bamboo sellers the dragon bamboo is yet another food on this planet uncommon
and likely not be be tasted by most people.
Number nine, Red Kuri Squash
Being a part of the Cucurbitaceae family which is home to squash pumpkins and gourds the
red kuri squash was created using a hubbard squash. The red kuri was developed on the
Island of Hokkaido Japan dating back to 1878 where it was bred to be smaller with its distinct
flavour and thin skin. Other names include Hokkaido squash, climbing onion squash, baby
red hubbard, uchiki kuri squash in japan and potimarron squash in france. This teardrop
shaped squash is 7 inches or 18 cm in diameter featuring smooth firm skin and it’s signature
brilliant amber color which can be solid reddish orange or have lighter orange speckles. Valued
for its delicious nutty chestnut flavour when cooked, the golden yellow flesh on the inside
offers a earth smooth eating experience.
It’s best consumed roasted, baked, boiled and sauteed just not raw. Don’t bother trying
to peel the tough skin just cook it with it on, you can eat it no problem. Added to curries,
soups, breads, stews, tarts or it makes a tasty hummus when mixed with chickpeas. Often
used as a vessel for casseroles, the inside handful of seeds are removed and it’s stuffed
with onions, beans, herbs and spices and baked. The red kuri ripens from fall to mid winter
and will store up to 6 months in a cool dry place. Being my first year growing this one,
I was able to get 3 squash to grow, a small, medium and large one. Being a fairly easy
squash to grow, you can see this 3rd medium sized red kuri squash got buried under foliage
and I found it a month after harvesting my first two. Able to grow in many places around
the world this vegetable is a good source of iron, potassium, vitamin c, calcium and
vitamin a and being low in calories is great for weight loss and high in beta carotene
is good for the eyes.
Number eight, Galangal
This paled colored ginger like root is home to Indonesia, Malaysia and India. Galangal
also known as Garingal, kah or Laos root is noticeably more white than ginger. Galangal
tastes exactly like it smells, an insanely strong ginger, something like 5 times stronger,
with a full bouquet of flowers with light citrus notes. When I tried this one it was
so potent it had my head buzzing and gave me goosebumps. If you can find it, it’ll
cost 4 times more than ginger. Galangal can be consumed raw, dried and ground up and is
also used in asian cooking, most notably soups and broths. In india oil is extracted and
used in perfumes where in Russia it is used to flavour vinegar and a liqueur. Being great
for nausea and having stomach soothing properties galangal has antibacterial properties which
is exceptional at building great health.
Number seven, Ceylon Olive Grown on an evergreen tree up to 59 feet or
18 meters tall this tree native to Sri Lanka produces a wild harvested olive. Also found
in Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia, India and Indonesia the blue olive is 1 inch or 3 cm long, is
high in starch and sugar and low in protein. When ripe they fall off the tree which needs
to be gathered quickly. A common sight among Sri Lankan street food the ceylon olive is
enjoyed raw or cooked, added to curries and also pickled. Many people find they cause
constipation when eaten raw for this reason they are used as a treatment to diarrhea.
In Florida they are chopped up and added to tomato sauce dishes. The seed kernels, while
difficult to shell taste similar to Brazil nuts. The leaves of the ceylon olive tree
can reduce joint pain and are an antidote to poisoning. The reason we don’t see this
olive around the world probably stems from the fact it can be difficult to germinate
the seeds, taking up to 2 years.
Number six, Red Veined Sorrel
Native to Europe and brought to the United States by colonists, this herb can grow in
cooler climates such as Iceland and Scandinavia. A member of the buckwheat family, the red
veined sorrel hails by other common names like bloody dock, red veined dock, bloodwort,
sheep’s sorrel, field sorrel and sour weed. This leafy herb was named after it’s obvious
veiny like appearance yet is actually considered a herb-vegetable due to its ability to endure
similar cooking times and temperatures as other vegetables.
Tasting somewhat sour like a lemon its acidic bite pairs well with savory dishes, soups,
stews and salads. A lemonless lemonade is made with these leaves
due to having a lemon like flavour. Steeped leaves mixed with sugar is all it takes.
Used in culinary aspects as well as for medicinal purposes, the red veined sorrel is highly
detoxifying and acts as a diuretic. Benefits to the urinary tract and kidneys can be enjoyed
by drinking the juice of this herb, tea is also made from steeping the leaves. The red-veined
sorrel helps aid fevers, inflammation and scurvy, nobody wants that scurvy that’s
been going around, yarr matey, so eat some sorrel. Typically added to stir-frys, the
oxalic acid in the leaves can cause stomach irritation if consumed in large volumes.
Essiac an alternative cancer treatment has red veined sorrel as one of it’s primary
ingredients, where Native Americans used this herb as an antidote for poisoning.
Number five, Snake Gourd
This easily grown gourd, grows up to 10 feet or 3 meters tall. White flowers turn into
this long red fruit that resembles a snake hence the name. The wild form of this gourd
originates from south-east asia and Australia but is also grown in India and Africa. Tasting
similar to green bean pods the snake gourd or snake tomato as it’s called has its pulp
blended to make a tomato puree like sauce. The leaves are edible as well as long as they
are cooked where as the juice of the leaves are used to aid with vomiting and the seeds
used against worms.
Number four, White Pumpkin Originating in Central America, pumpkins have
been around for hundreds of years, the white pumpkin was created in the 1980s. These pumpkins
were specifically bred to be more and more white and are not an albino or genetic mutation.
Multiple different varieties of the white pumpkin include Full Moon, Luminas, Valenciano,
Ghost pumpkins, Casper pumpkins, and silver moon.
Different varieties range in weight from 8-15 pounds to 60-90 pounds or 3.6 to 7kg to 27
to 40kg. Long vines will produce these smooth round pumpkins which can range in color from
a bright ivory to orangish or greyish. Some will have white flesh on the inside where
others like this one I grew has orange flesh.
While more popular as an ornamental pumpkin for halloween these pumpkins are edible and
have a mild earthy taste to them and are high in vitamin e, potassium, iron and fiber. Cooked
just as you would with a normal pumpkin they are baked, roasted, boiled, added to tarts,
pudding, bread, custards and waffles. Their earthy taste is a welcome addition to stews,
soups, curries, oatmeal and salad. The white pumpkin pairs well with many types of nuts
such as walnuts, peanuts, pine nuts as well as mushrooms, garlic, onions and broccoli.
Number three, Price's Groundnut
This rare member of the legume family is also known as Price’s potato-bean and traveler’s
delight. This groundnut is grown on a climbing yellowish-green vine originates from a potato
like tuber. Native to the United States specifically Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky they can be
eaten cooked or raw, it has a wonderful taste much like sweet potatoes when roasted. Sometimes
dried and made into a powder the Price’s groundnut is a potato like food that measures
4 to 6 inches or 10 to 15 centimeters. A common food of the people indigenous of
Central America and the southern United States, they are usually found growing among open
spaces in the forest canopy along ravines and creeks. The Price’s Groundnut is listed
as a threatened species, habitat destruction is the main cause of this food disappearing
off the planet also disease hasn’t been too friendly to it either.
Number two, Gai Lan
This chinese broccoli or chinese kale is like a mix of a bok choi and swiss chard. Thought
to have originated from the Mediterranean, it has thick, flat, glossy leaves with thick
stems and will produce a flower head in the middle. Growing to the size of a small broccoli
it tastes similar to one with a slight hint of bitterness. Gai lan the cantonese name
for this vegetable is not only popular in Hong Kong but in China as well where it’s
called Jie lan in Mandarin. Not only grown in China, gia lan is found in Vietnam, Burma
and Thailand.
While you can technically eat it raw but I wouldn’t do that, steamed with some soy
sauce or sesame sauce is how this veggie is best enjoyed. The leaf part of the plant can
be stringy and hard to rip apart with your teeth so it’s best to chop it up before
cooking. It is commonly added to hot pot, stir frys, soups and casseroles. Just as with
other cruciferous vegetables, they are a good source of calcium, iron, vitamin a and c among
other nutrients.
Number one, Beni Houshi Mizuna
Typically having a green stem this variety of mizuna has a purple stem resulting in a
much higher antioxidant density. One of the easiest things to grow, when leaves are cut
away from the Beni Houshi mizuna they’ll regrow quickly. Being a biennial plant or
one that grows for two seasons before dying off the mizuna needs some help over the winter
to continue growing for two full seasons. The serrated leaves of this plant grow in
a rosette and prefer partial shade to grow. They can endure full sun if necessary which
can yield small edible leaves after 20 days and full sized ones after 40. There are multiple
different varieties of mizuna including Komatsuna, Vitamin Green, Red Komatsuna, Kyoto, Kyona
and this one the Beni Houshi.
Developed in Japan this mild flavored mustard is commonly grown for salad mixes and added
to sandwiches. Typically consumed raw they can endure light cooking like a quick visit
in a steam basket or among a stir fry mix. Going well with garlic and olive oil and grilled
with figs the mizuna leaves are sometimes pickled called mizuan ichiyazuke or overnight
pickles which are made from mizuna greens, red chili and salt.
I hope you enjoyed this episode, if you want to grow any of these, links to seeds are available
in the description. Be sure to checkout part 1 and 2 if you haven’t seen them yet. Big
thanks to Polish botanist Wojciech for hooking me up with the snake gourd and price’s groundnut,
link to his informative blog is below. Consider subscribing and until the next one have a
good one.