digitS'
Garden Master
If you aren't exploring Asian vegetables and fruits, you are missing out on half the world!
You know I'm enthusiastic about stir-fry, how it changed my diet, and the Asian veggies I can grow.
You might be surprised about the origin of some varieties in US catalogs. Some of you may grow Juliet tomatoes. They are from Taiwan. Sweet Million is from Japan. Jung's Seed in Wisconsin sells golden skin watermelons - Taiwan. Those watermelons are "All America" winners
. Haven't even arrived at the Asian vegetables page.
I buy seed from Jung's. Not usually Asian seed but, who knows?! I do buy some Asian varieties from Fedco Seed in Maine, some from Kitazawa in California. About 5 years ago, I became very upset with Evergreen Seeds in California because they stopped taking orders in March! I don't know what happened ... some kind of glitch. Well, Evergreen came back and their offerings are more extensive each year! Just look: LINK.
To introduce a little problem with Asian varieties, here's a picture of some growing in my greenhouse beds:
Here's a problem. (I mean, other than the volunteer bean plant in the upper right corner.) How do we talk about Asian vegetables?
There isn't even just one language in China and there are multiple dialects. Every group has their favorites and different names even if the variety is grown across a large area. Some of the names have come to us as recipe ingredients! The farmers have different names. Some names came to the West a century ago but there are modern seed companies coming out with new varieties every year!
For the Asian greens in the picture, I think I got the seed originally from Evergreen but I can no longer find it. It is a loose head Chinese cabbage. I call it a choy sum. You might think that all Chinese cabbages as Nappa cabbage. Nope ...
Chinese cabbage and bok choy are closely related. I find very similar greens from some seed companies listed as Taiwan cabbages. Fun Jen is similar but is listed by some as a Chinese cabbage and other companies as a bok choy ... Or, pak choi or by other names!
Names are important to me just like I related on @Nyboy 's recent thread. I want to be able to talk about them ... with you. But, I've just gotta relax! After all, this is half the world we are exploring! There is no way I can find my way around every corner in 20 years or 200 years! It would take gangs of gardeners.
relax Steve and enjoy the view
You know I'm enthusiastic about stir-fry, how it changed my diet, and the Asian veggies I can grow.
You might be surprised about the origin of some varieties in US catalogs. Some of you may grow Juliet tomatoes. They are from Taiwan. Sweet Million is from Japan. Jung's Seed in Wisconsin sells golden skin watermelons - Taiwan. Those watermelons are "All America" winners
. Haven't even arrived at the Asian vegetables page.I buy seed from Jung's. Not usually Asian seed but, who knows?! I do buy some Asian varieties from Fedco Seed in Maine, some from Kitazawa in California. About 5 years ago, I became very upset with Evergreen Seeds in California because they stopped taking orders in March! I don't know what happened ... some kind of glitch. Well, Evergreen came back and their offerings are more extensive each year! Just look: LINK.
To introduce a little problem with Asian varieties, here's a picture of some growing in my greenhouse beds:
Here's a problem. (I mean, other than the volunteer bean plant in the upper right corner
.) How do we talk about Asian vegetables?There isn't even just one language in China and there are multiple dialects. Every group has their favorites and different names even if the variety is grown across a large area. Some of the names have come to us as recipe ingredients! The farmers have different names. Some names came to the West a century ago but there are modern seed companies coming out with new varieties every year!
For the Asian greens in the picture, I think I got the seed originally from Evergreen but I can no longer find it. It is a loose head Chinese cabbage. I call it a choy sum. You might think that all Chinese cabbages as Nappa cabbage. Nope ...
Chinese cabbage and bok choy are closely related. I find very similar greens from some seed companies listed as Taiwan cabbages. Fun Jen is similar but is listed by some as a Chinese cabbage and other companies as a bok choy ... Or, pak choi or by other names!
Names are important to me just like I related on @Nyboy 's recent thread. I want to be able to talk about them ... with you. But, I've just gotta relax! After all, this is half the world we are exploring! There is no way I can find my way around every corner in 20 years or 200 years! It would take gangs of gardeners
.relax Steve and enjoy the view
