By Chen Nianxuan

Raw Vegetable Delicacies

By Chen Nianxuan

I am quite certain that most Chinese people, with the notable exception of inhabitants of the freezing northernmost provinces, aren't used to eating vegetables raw (this is especially true in the south of China, where the climate is predominantly hot and humid). Vegetables in China are generally cooked or, alternatively, pickled. It was only after I travelled to Western countries that I gradually realized how satisfying eating raw vegetables could be. In cold, arid areas, sugar is plentiful in vegetables, making them sweet and delicious when eaten raw. On the other hand, according to traditional Chinese medicine, consuming raw vegetables and fruits in a hot, humid climate will increase their already significant negative impact on damp and cold body dispositions.

On my first visit to India, I remembered local people's astonishment when they saw me munching on a raw tomato. It turns out that in the cuisines of areas with a great abundance of food, such as the Mediterranean region or the Indian sub-continent, tomatoes are used mainly for seasoning and are in general not consumed directly (this is because tomatoes' nutritional value increases after being heated). I, on the other hand, was even more taken aback by the sight of Indians' snacking on huge cucumbers as if they were a piece of fruit. To me, a native Taiwanese, the only proper way to eat a cucumber is to cook it in soup.

As a child, I was horrified at the sight of someone eating raw garlic. It was the same feeling I had in the winter when I would observe my dad chopping radishes and sticking pieces of it into his mouth. He would even complain how tasteless Taiwanese radishes are, how their fibers are too thick, and how they are not sweet enough. In Taiwan, radish is cooked in soup and never eaten raw. In the simple world of a child, vegetables are just vegetables. Who would have known that there were such huge differences between a vegetable that is grown in different regions? In addition, seasonal variations in a particular region also affect the quality of the yield. Each time grown-ups took me shopping for groceries, I would get bored while they were choosing vegetables. Attempting to be helpful, I would grab a bunch of veggies and throw them into our shopping bag. Mom would then call me a good-for-nothing helper, as I wasn’t mindful of the condition or ripeness. One time my grandma saw me take a vegetable, lick it, and then throw it onto the ground—she shook her head and scolded me for being wasteful.

Later in life, I was stuck in the mountains overlooking Vancouver. A snowstorm was raging outside. Luckily, it was warm and dry indoors by the fireplace. Meals there consisted solely of raw vegetable, salads and bread. To my astonishment, I could not get enough of this kind of food. It was then that I realized that climate determined people's food preferences. That day I did away with my cultural prejudices against certain kinds of foods, especially raw vegetables. I now believe that with a slight adjustment, one can eat both raw and cooked food anytime, and in any place.

Leafy vegetables should not be eaten cooked. On the other hand, vegetables with thick fibers should not be consumed raw. I have learned to take some table salt, rub it in, and squeeze out the extra moisture, then chop the vegetables into small chunks for later use. That way, the vegetables remain soft and green for a long time and can be served with rice, noodles, or tofu. They can even be mixed with ground nuts or with chopped spring onions, then combined with dough and baked or shallow-fried to make pancakes. This method makes them more aromatic and tastier, sweeter, and more enticing than regular spring onions.

If a dish is to be tasty, with the leafy vegetables still retaining their nutrients, while at the same time not creating an unnecessary burden on people with damp and cold dispositions, some roasted vegetables can be added to the mix to make the meal more balanced. Roasted sweet peppers are extremely tasty with their skins removed. Likewise, roasting tomatoes, apples, pears and even grapes, will seriously increase their sweetness. Roasted product tastes great with leafy vegetables. If one adds roasted mushrooms and nuts, the dish will become even richer, more nutritious and delicious.

Sometimes, I store roasted vegetables or fruits in a cool place, soaking in rice or fruit vinegar. Product can be stored like this for long periods without becoming sour. They also acquire a great color and taste, and are great for decorating dishes and winning your guests' hearts.

One day, some friends came to visit from far away. My female guests talked incessantly and nobody would let me cook anything—they would say it was a waste of time. Since there were so many street peddlers and eateries in the neighborhood, there was no need for me to even enter the kitchen. Among my guests was an American who asked me to order scalded green vegetables at every meal. This unique Taiwanese way of eating green vegetables is a favorite among foreigners. Not only is it a way of avoiding eating raw vegetables in a hot and humid climate; it also helps meet the body's need for green vegetables. Scalded green vegetables are fresh and delicious, and a favorite during hot summers.

The recipe is extremely simple. First, heating half a pot of water to boil. Then add some oil and salt. Briefly dip a handful of spinach, sweet potato leaves, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, or crown daisy in the boiling water, then remove the vegetables, arrange them on a plate and add a unique sauce.

Usually, in small eateries, scalded green vegetables come with a simple garlic sauce and sesame oil. The sauce my mother used to make was slightly more complex. She would use onions, ginger, and garlic powder, as well as her favorite type of basil, coriander, and celery. She sometimes adds ketchup, mayonnaise, and a bit of mustard, as well. I, on the other hand, prefer the taste of sesame sauce, yellow mustard, and almond sauce mixed together. Recently, I

have also become fond of mixing Italian red wine vinegar and olive oil. Fruit sauces made of mixed lemons, oranges, and other citrus are a tasty and refreshing way to flavor dishes in the summer.

During a whiskey tasting at a famous distillery in Ireland, filled with the scent of the finest alcohol, a wild idea suddenly dawned on me. I told the master chef—right there and then—to try adding a bit of the spirits to the salad dressing on the table. It turned out to be the tastiest vegetable salad I had ever had, and I remember it fondly to this day.

Similarly, it was only after I visited Japan for the first time that I encountered the simple way Japanese housewives rub salt into vegetables, intensifying their natural sweetness and fresh color. From that moment on, I would often apply this simple method to my own dishes, especially to gherkins, a food so popular in Japanese kitchens. After this, gherkins can be stored for quite a long time. They can be eaten any time or used for decoration. This kind of simplicity strongly reminds me of Sen no Rikyuu, a Japanese sage who exerted a profound influence on tea ceremonies, and was a champion of simple aesthetics. This simplicity, I think, is the true meaning of life. It is the realization that comes directly from experiencing such bliss.

(From Worldview, Issue 15, 2016. Translated: Trans）

除了天寒地冻的北方外，我相信大部分的中国人都不习惯生吃蔬菜，尤其是湿热的南方。即便是生吃，也要吃腌制过的泡菜，而非直接生吃。旅行到西方国家后，才逐渐明白，寒冷地区气候干燥，蔬菜的糖分较高，生吃鲜美甘甜，且因干冷，吃生菜反而舒服；湿热地区若生吃蔬果，反易加重湿寒体质的负担。

记得刚去印度时，当地人看我生吃西红柿很惊讶，而我看他们把大黄瓜当水果吃，更吃惊。在波斯帝国饮食泛滥过的地中海与印度地区，西红柿是烹饪调味料，不能直接拿来吃（过油加热后的西红柿才有营养价值），而对我这台湾地区来的人来说，大黄瓜是炖汤用的，别无其他用途。

小时候看人生吃大蒜都会吓一跳，然后就是冬天看到老爸边切萝卜边往嘴里塞，还挑剔：“台湾的萝卜真难吃，纤维粗又不甜，味如嚼蜡。”在台湾，萝卜是炖汤的附属品，没有人生吃。以幼童的概念来说，天下的蔬菜不都一回事吗？哪晓得同样的蔬菜，每个地区的质量天差地远，甚至，在同产区的不同季节，也会有相当大的差异。每次跟大人去买菜，都会很不耐烦大人的挑三拣四，偷偷地假装帮忙挑选，随手乱抓一大把便往袋子里扔。老妈经常说我：“败家子。”外婆看着我拿一个舔一下便往地上扔，摇头骂：“讨债鬼！”

有一年在温哥华山区闭关，室外大雪纷飞，屋里炭火燥热，餐餐都是生菜色拉与干面包，竟从未吃腻，反而对生鲜蔬果有种饥渴式的贪婪，才恍然大悟：气候，决定了人类的饮食倾向。……