When I was a girl, eating Asian style vegetables at home consisted of buying a can at the supermarket, rinsing the mysterious contents well and mixing it with another can of beef and gravy. I thought a third of the world’s population ate only “white” vegetables, like bean sprouts and water chestnuts.
As a gardener, the names of Asian vegetable plants were conspicuously absent from my catalogs. Then, low and behold, two things happened; the ethnic Asian population grew and the rest of us became more health conscious, seeking more variety in our vegetables. Hurray for me!
Today, Asian style vegetables are everywhere. Originating in East and Southeast Asia, these vegetables are finally available to the general population. For gardeners, the possibilities are endless. Asian root vegetables abound and yes, green, leafy vegetables too. Our home gardens can yield a much wider variety than is available in the produce section of your local store. Of course, with these new growing opportunities, questions arise about the names of vegetable plants and Asian vegetable care.
While the names of Asian vegetable plants may seem exotic, most are merely different subspecies of their western counterparts and Asian vegetable care requires no more effort. An Asian root vegetable requires growing conditions similar to the radishes, beets and turnips you grow every year. There are cucurbits like your cucumbers and squash, crucifers or cole crops like cabbage and broccoli, and legumes. To help you make your choices, the following is a basic guide to Asian vegetables.
Please be aware that following guide to Asian vegetables is in no way complete and is only meant to encourage newcomers. I’ve used the most common names of Asian vegetable plants to make your selection easier.
More good news! For those of you who participate in local farmers markets, there is a niche in Asian style vegetables just waiting to be filled. So whether it’s for profit or simply dining adventure, try adding a few names of Asian vegetable plants to your list of things to try.
Brassica juncea, B. rapa var. japonica, B. rapa var. narinosa, and Sinapis alba So many mustard greens, so little time? That’s only half true. There are dozens of types of this tasty cool-weather annual that you can grow, for a fact. There are rosettes of mild tatsoi, big broad leaves of Southern varieties like ‘Old Fashioned,’ and thin stalks of mizuna with serrated leaves. I could happily list many more, and I will, in a bit. But first I must reassure
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