What Are The Whitish Crunchy Round Things In Chinese Meals?

Question: What are the Whitesh Crunchy Round Things that are in Chinese Meals?

The whitish crunchy things you find in Chinese meals are called water chestnuts or Eleocharis Dulcis.

For your knowledge, the water chestnut is not a nut at all. It’s actually an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. It is called water chestnut simply because it looks like a chestnut in shape and coloring.

You can find water chestnuts tinned at the grocery store if you like them. The ones in prepared Chinese dishes are usually sliced into coin-shaped rounds, but you can also buy them whole — they are usually roughly the size and shape of radishes.

Or if you are a vegetable gardening hobbyist, you may grow water chestnut plants in your backyard!

The book Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard by Geri Harrington provides advice on planting, growing, and harvesting more than 40 Chinese vegetables and herbs, from the familiar snow pea, bok choy and Chinese parsley to water chestnuts and Chinese pumpkins.

For every plant, you will also find simple recipes and tips for culinary uses. There is an extensive seed source list that directs you to reliable retailers for the primary plants and many delicious varieties.

Geri Harrington is the author of 12 books, including Growing Your Own Chinese Vegetables, The Salad Book, and Storey’s The College Cookbook. Geri has gained recipes from over 55 colleges and universities, some of which include Williams College, University of Vermont, Yale University, Vassar College, and New York University. She has also written many articles for Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, and Women’s Day magazines. Although her book is complete, Geri continues to collect recipes from college students who have a knack for easy, creative cooking.