Interesting Veggies to Buy at the Asian Grocery Store (and What to Do With Them)

Even when you love to cook, sometimes, you just get stuck in a rut. You open your cabinet, glance over your wares, and think, “nothing looks good.” Whenever that happens, one of the best things you can do is to experiment with new ingredients. It’s easy to rely on what we know, but pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones and trying new ingredients can open new doors to our culinary worlds.

If you happen to live near an Asian grocery store, but have never really stepped foot inside, then the job of finding something new is as easy as walking down the aisle because, for the most part, everything is unique. You’ll find noodles that you’ve never heard of, sauces, fermented foods, and, of course, vegetables. But, unless you know what you can do with those vegetables, you might feel a little lost. That’s where we here at One Green Planet come in. We’ve picked five of our favorite vegetables, complete with tips on how to pick the right one, cooking tips, and recipes. Let’s get started:

Burdock Root

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Burdock root is a vegetable that is native to temperate regions across Europe and Asia. On the surface, burdock root is characterized by its tall stem and pricky green flowers with purple or pink tips. Below the surface is a brown root with a white core that can grow up to three feet long. Burdock stalks, leaves, and the root have long been used to make herbal brews in traditional medicine, but we are going to focus the root’s culinary use.

Burdock root is most commonly used in Japanese cuisine, where it is called gobo and pickled then served as a side to sushi or dinner, sautéed, simmered, or added to stews. Burdock has a sweet, earthy flavor with an aroma to match. Its texture is meatier and more fibrous than root vegetables like carrots and beets, and it has a pleasant chew to it. The raw root has an aroma similar to freshly dug soil and when you cook it, particularly in nimono dishes, it fills your kitchen with an earthy, sweet aroma.

For aesthetic purposes, burdock root is often peeled with the back of a knife before being added to a dish, but this is not necessary. If you do choose to peel the root, place it in a bath of ice water with a splash of vinegar, to preserve its white color. Traditionally, there are two ways that burdock root is prepared. You can either with a knife, as in Kinpira Gobo, a side dish where burdock is sautéed in sesame oil and a sweet, umami sauce. Shredded burdock root can be added to Japanese gohan (mixed rice) dishes along with mushrooms, chestnuts, and other seasonal vegetables. Another way to cut burdock is in rankiri style, or roll cut, where the root is cut at a 70° angle. Peel the root, then hold it firmly on your cutting board. Cut it at a 70° angle, roll the root, then cut again. You should be left with wedge-shaped pieces. Burdock cut in this manner is good for adding to soups and stews. Occasionally, I’ll cut leftover burdock into matchsticks and throw it into stir-frys.

At the Asian grocery store I frequent, burdock is found in the refrigerated section near the mushrooms, but this might not hold true for your local spot. Just keep an eye out for a brown root that’s several feet long.

Lotus Root

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In dishes, sliced lotus root is a beautiful vegetable that adds to the aesthetic quality of the meal. But in its whole form, lotus root could be considered downright ugly — especially considering the beautiful flower it yields. Unless you know what to look for when you go to the Asian supermarket, you might walk right past it without ever realizing it. Lotus root is the root of the lotus plant, which grows in the mud of lakes and ponds. The root, which can be several feet long, is thick and grows in oblong, white-ish segments that can be broken apart. In traditional Chinese medicine, lotus root is considered to be a “cooling” food that helps restore balance to the body.

Lotus root is available in Asian grocery stores fresh or packaged forms. It has a crisp texture that holds up even when cooked and it picks up the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. To pick a good, fresh lotus root, look for one that is heavy and has no bruising on the surface. Like burdock root, peeled and sliced lotus root should be soaked in a bath of ice water and vinegar until you’re ready to use it. To cut lotus, simply peel it, then cut it into slices.

Lotus root can be steamed with a mix of vegetables, then served with rice on the side. It is also good in stir-frys and and stews, like this Sweet and Sour Tempeh. In Japan on New Year’s Day, sliced lotus root, or renkon, is often cut into flower shapes to make chikuzenni, a nimono dish made with carrots, lotus root, burdock, konjac, Shiitake mushrooms, and other seasonal vegetables.

Look for fresh lotus root in the produce section of the Asian grocery store. You might also find pre-sliced, packaged lotus root slices in the refrigerated produce section.

Nagaimo/Yamaimo

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Also known as Chinese yam, nagaimo and yamaimo are actually two different vegetables that are very similar. Nagaimo has tan-colored skin while yamaimo has darker brown skin and a starchier texture. Although they are different vegetables, the names are often confused because their culinary use is interchangeable.

Nagaimo/yamaimo both grow in the mountains and unlike other yams, can be eaten raw. A common side dish in Japan is nagaimo that has been peeled, cut into matchsticks, and seasoned with soy sauce. Like with taro or cassava, handling raw nagaimo might cause some itching. To avoid this, wear gloves when handling it. Nagaimo can also be peeled, cut into rounds, and then pan-fried in soy sauce, which results in tender yam that’s crisp and slightly sweet on the outside. If you’ve watched the series Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories on Netflix, then you might be familiar with this dish already.

Another factor that sets nagaimo apart from other yams is that when grated, it takes on a gooey, slimy texture. In this form, it is called tororo and is often served on top of hot or cold soba noodles in a dish called tororo soba. Traditionally, it is topped with an egg, but for a vegan version, just leave out the egg. Tororo can also be used as a binder in Okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake made from cabbage.

Look for nagaimo or yamaimo where the potatoes are kept at the Asian grocery store.

Bitter Melon

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Bitter melon, also known as bitter gourd doesn’t pull any punches — its name says it all. Unlike other squash varieties, which can range from mild zucchini to sweet, yet hearty butternut squash, the raw bitter melon has a strong flavor that may require some getting used to. It may not taste the best, but it turns out that bitter foods contain nutrients that are beneficial to the liver, so if you’re looking for an interesting, nutritious vegetable to try, this gourd might be just what you’re looking for. Don’t worry — when cooked, its flavor is much more bearable. You can also control the bitterness by selecting a younger vegetable with light green skin. The darker the skin, the more mature and bitter the vegetable is.

Bitter melon is often used in Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino cooking, and has many uses. It can be sliced and served in salads, stir-fried with other vegetables, added to soups, steamed, or even stuffed. As a general rule, it should be paired with sweet and savory flavors, though you can also add an element of spiciness with fresh or dried chilis. Try bitter melon in Indian recipes like this Bitter Melon Dry Curry, this Bitter Melon Tomato Curry, or this Bitter Melon, Potato, and Eggplant Indian-Style Stir Fry.

Bitter melon can be found in the fresh produce section of the grocery store. Luckily, it’s hard to miss.

Black Fungus

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Also known as Cloud’s Ear, Wood Ear, Jelly Ear, and Black Chinese Fungus this mushroom looks a lot different from the capped mushrooms that most of us are used to. Unlike most mushrooms, Wood Ear mushrooms are gill-less with a wavy cap and little to no stems. They are native to the forests of China, but can also be found in the Pacific Islands and other humid areas of the world, where they grow on decaying wood. Wood Ear mushrooms are foraged and then dried for commercial sale. They must be reconstituted in water before being used in any dish. Unlike Shiitake mushrooms, it is not recommended that you reserve the soaking liquid for broth.

In terms of flavor, Wood Ear mushrooms do not have the same umami flavor quality as other varieties. However, their chewy, rubbery texture and ability to take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked in makes them fairly versatile. In Chinese cooking, where they are frequently used, Wood Ear mushrooms are added to soups and stir-frys. They also make a great addition to dumplings, as a replacement for meat.

For more recipes using Wood Ear Mushrooms, try these Banh Cuon Chay, a Vietnamese steamed cake filled with Wood Ear mushrooms or make these Egg-Free Egg Rolls. Wood Ear mushrooms at a satisfying chewiness to this Moo Shu Seitan and in this Japchae, a Korean noodle dish, thinly sliced mushrooms take the place of meat.

You can find Wood Ear mushrooms among the dried mushrooms in the Asian grocery store, but since they don’t require refrigeration, you could also buy it online. A one-pound bag of Mushroom House Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms will cost you about $11.

We also highly recommend downloading our Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone, and can also be found on Instagram and Facebook. The app has more than 8,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to ten new recipes per day. Check it out!

Lead image source:  Gayane/Shutterstock