In Chongqing it took me a while to get or learn the chinese names of vegetables. In comparison with my Dutch colleagues to who all food were foreign and unknown, I recognized almost all the fruits and vegetables. But with the dutch or even the english names I was nowhere in Mid-China. After some weeks, or even months I unraveled some of the chinese Pinyin, characters and pronounciations. The first one I learned and never forgot was kōng xīn cài. Almost every restaurant serves this green vegetable. According to the taste of the province, it can be prepared with different seasoning. In Chongqing it is mostly with garlic and chilli. In Northern China with just with a little bit of soy or garlic. But always very clean and delicious, a great contrast with the sometimes heavy and greasy dishes.
The reason I remembered the Chinese name of the vegetable was probably because of the explanation of the name. In my first month in Chongqing, one of my students took me out to dinner for my first Chongqing Hot Pot ('Every Chinese's favorite meal', a Chinese fondue, Chongqing version is filled with Szechuan pepper and red hotter than hot peppers and chillies). She ordered the vegetable and told me it's name. "Do you know the meaning?" She asked me. Of course I didn't, although my Chinese roots I don't speak the language, except the occasionally 'Thank you' and 'Enjoy your meal'. And even then, this was Mandarin, my family speaks Cantonese. "If you translate the name, it says hollow heart vegetable. It is hollow inside, you can see where it is cut." She told me in her heartedly English. I thought it was so beautiful, how poetically the Chinese named this vegetable. Appropriate but also a little sad, the idea that a vegetable can have a empty heart.
As a child I had favorite colors, flowers, dishes, music, artists, well I even had favorite people. But I never had a favorite vegetable. In time it just wears off, you stop stating your favorites like you did as a kid. But since about a year ago I started stating my new favorite vegetable; Morning Glory.
After my summer in California, back in Holland I started looking for the vegetable. I found it not far from home, in my local Asian market. I tried to recreate the taste. But it always stayed blend. When I came to China I fell in love with the vegetable, all over again. Because it was one of the few chinese vegetable names I knew, I always ordered it. My colleague was going crazy, because he'd always had to eat this vegetable. And after eating it almost every night, I started to break down the ingredients. Trying to compose a recipe. After consulting many cookbooks I finally found a way to make it the way I like it.
Mai Morning Glory
1 bunch of morning glory
2 gloves of garlic
1 tablespoons of soybean paste, available at asian markets
Optional: 1/2 red chilli
Cut the vegetable in 8-10 cm length pieces. Wash carefully, the leaves will bruise easily. Blanch in just boiled water for a minute and drain. Heat some oil in a wok or frying pan, sautee the garlic (and chilli) and add the vegetable and season well. Stirfry for 1-2 minutes, the vegetable will get a bright green color. Now add the soybean paste with a tablespoon (or two) of water and stirfry for another 1-2 minutes on high heat. The liquids will evaporate and the steam will help to cook the morning glory. Now take of the heat and taste. Add more seasoning when you find it blend, some pepper, salt or even a little splash of soysauce will do the trick.
Serve immediately, as a vegetable dish on a Asian-style family dinner or just as the vegetables for your meal. Enjoy!
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