of dark green grass. When raw, they have a strong flavor, which becomes more delicate after brief cooking. Sometimes, the flowering heads of this are sold as a vegetable and are considered a delicacy by the Chinese. They are also very decorative; a spray or two transforms any dish. Green onions (scallions) are the best substitute.
Ginger buds are the unopened flowers the of pink torch ginger, known as bunga kantan or bunga siantan in Malaysia and kaalaa in Thailand. It is eaten raw with a dip, added to salads or cooked in soups and curries. When cooked with fish, it has a flavor and fragrance somewhat reminiscent of Vietnamese mint. There is no substitute; if you are able to obtain the fresh buds, freeze whole for future use.
Green mango is universally loved throughout the region for its sour tang. It is eaten with dips, made into salads and pickles, or stir-fried with other ingredients. The mango should be peeled with a vegetable peeler and the flesh cut away from the central oval stone. Green man-goes should be stored in the fridge and peeled only just before they are needed. Ripe mangoes are generally eaten as they come from the tree, without any attempts to improve them. One exception is the favorite Thai dessert, where slices of ripe mango are partnered with glutinous rice drenched in coconut milk.
Green onions (scallions) are also known as spring onions or some-times as shallots. Green onions have slender stalks with dark green leaves and white bases. They are sprinkled generously on soups and as a garnish.
Jicama is sometimes confusingly called a turnip in Malaysia and Singapore. It is a roughly globe-shaped tuber, tapering slightly like a top, with papery beige skin covering crisp white flesh. Slightly sweet and juicy when small and young, jicama tends to become fibrous with age. They are eaten raw (usually with a dip) when young, or cooked when mature.
Kaffir lime has an unattractive knobbly skin, which earns it the unappealing alternative name of leprous lime. It has very little juice but the fragrance of the grated kaffir lime rind is incomparable. If you can ever lay your hands on fresh kaffir limes, put them whole in your freezer and pull them out to grate (while still frozen) whenever kaffir lime rind is needed. Kaffir lime leaf is one of the region’s most popular herbs, recognized by its double leaf that looks like a figure eight. The intense and inimitable fragrance of the kaffir lime leaf is essential in many Southeast Asian dishes. If you can buy the fresh leaves, store them in a bag in the freezer. The dried leaves are a poor substitute, but you can sometimes find frozen leaves in Asian stores. In most recipes, you could substitute 1/4 teaspoon grated lime or lemon rind for 1 kaffir lime leaf. Fresh kaffir lime leaves are often finely shredded for adding to salads and other dishes. Fold the leaf in half and cut out the tough central rib. Roll up the leaves from the tip to stem, like a cigar, then lay on a board and use a sharp knife to cut into hair-like shreds.
Lemongrass is one of the most important herbs in Southeast Asia, a type of grass that grows up to 32 in (80 cm) in height. The bottom portion (about 8 in/20 cm) is a tightly packed bulb, a little like a miniature leek, while the top part of the lemongrass has coarse, broad leaves which are not used in cooking. The flavor and fragrance are concentrated in the bulb, which is either bruised and added whole (or cut into manageable lengths), or thinly sliced and often pounded or processed. Usually only the tender inner part of the bottom 3 in (7.5 cm) is used for slicing and pounding; peel off two or three of the tough outer leaves to get to the inner portion. As even the inner stem is fibrous, it must be sliced as finely as possible, or else processed, before being used. Lemon-grass is added raw to salads and also cooked. If you can buy fresh lemongrass, trim off the leaves and keep about 5 to 6 in (12.5 to 15 cm) of the stem. Stand with the ends in about 1/2 in (1 cm) of water in a glass and keep in a warm place (a bench or window sill) for up to about 2 weeks for use when required. Alternatively, trim the lemongrass and store in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks, or for several months in the freezer; slice while still frozen. Small packets of thinly sliced, deep-frozen lemongrass are often available in Asian stores abroad; 2 tablespoons of sliced lemongrass are roughly equivalent to the inner part of the bottom 3 in (7.5 cm) of a stem of fresh lemon-grass. If you live in a moderately warm climate and would like to grow lemongrass, leave the cut stems of fresh lemongrass in water until they start to send out roots. Transfer to a large pot or a sunny spot in the garden and keep well watered. They should multiply during the summer.
Noodles were introduced by the Chinese and have, over the centuries, become a firmly entrenched part of Southeast Asian cuisine, although they have never replaced rice as the staple food. Noodles made from rice flour predominate, although wheat flour noodles are also eaten, especially in the towns and cities where Southeast Asians of Chinese ethnic origin tend to congregate. Both fresh and dried noodles are used. Fresh noodles should be refrigerated until used; dried noodles will keep almost indefinitely in a cupboard. Fresh rice flour noodles are generally cut into flat strands about 1/2 in (1 cm) in width and are usually thin and light in texture. These are known as sen men in Thailand and bahn pho in Vietnam. Fresh rice flour noodles tend to be thicker and heavier in Singapore and Malaysia, where they are known as kway teow or sa hor fun. Spaghetti-like fresh round rice flour (laksa) noodles are also found and generally used in noodle soups. It is also possible to buy flat sheets of rice flour dough, which can be cut to the desired size. Very thin fresh rice vermicelli is also available in the region, but seldom seen abroad. All fresh rice noodles have been steamed before being sold; before using, they should be blanched in hot water for about 1 minute to remove any oil which has been used to stop them sticking together, then drained and used as directed in recipes. Dried rice flour noodles come in several forms. Dried rice vermicelli is very fine threads of rice noodle, rather like angel hair pasta. Rice-stick noodles (or rice-ribbon noodles) are flat and vary in width from about 1/8 to 1/2 in (3 mm–1 cm). (Some brands of rice vermicelli are confusingly labeled rice-stick noodles.) Dried rice-stick noodles should be soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften. They are then generally boiled until cooked, which will take 30 to 60 seconds for rice vermicelli and about 3 to 5 minutes for rice-stick noodles, depending on their thickness. Transparent (bean thread) noodles, made from green mung bean starch, are also known as jelly noodles, glass noodles, cellophane noodles and green bean threads. The dried noodles are very fine and white and difficult to cut before soaking, even using kitchen scissors. For this reason, try to choose very small packets so that you will not have to fight to separate as little as 1 oz (30 g), which a number of recipes require. Before using the noodles, put the required amount in a bowl and add warm water to cover. They should be soft after 10 minutes, when they can be drained and cut to size. Packets keep almost indefinitely on the shelf. Wheat noodles in their fresh form are sold in flat ribbons of varying widths, or are round and vary in size from very thin noodles to fat, heavy yellow noodles looking like spaghetti. Wheat noodles are often called “egg noodles,” even though most do not actually contain eggs and get their yellow color from food dye. Fresh wheat noodles can be kept refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Wheat and egg noodles are also available dried, although the thickest variety is sometimes difficult to find. Before using fine or medium fresh wheat or “egg” noodles, shake them to dislodge any starch (used to stop them sticking together) and blanch in boiling water for up to 1 minute to cook. Rinse under cold water (this is important) and drain. Thick fresh wheat noodles (often known as Hokkien noodles) should be put into a bowl and blanched in boiling water for about 1 minute, to remove any oil or impurities. Drain and use as directed in the recipe. Dried wheat noodles are normally added to boiling water to cook, without any pre-soaking; the cooking time will depend upon the thickness, but is usually around 3 minutes (check the time stated on the package). The noodles should be separated with a long fork or chopsticks during cooking and once cooked, rinsed
