Chinese Vegetables Come in Colors of the Rainbow

Eggplants, Snow Peas, Fuchsia-Colored Turnips All Grow in China

Sep 28, 2009 Cheryl Probst

Chinese cooks have a veritable smorgasbord of vegetables to choose from when preparing meals. Most are available throughout the year due to improved transportation.

At one time, cabbage was the only vegetable many people had to eat in winter months, since fresh vegetables were not available year round in all parts of China. People would buy a year’s supply of cabbage and stack it up against an outside wall. That picture no longer exists in most parts of China today. Cooks now can just go to the neighborhood market to select from a wide variety of veggies, all grown in China.

Chinese Have Grown Vegetables for Thousands of Years

Vegetables have been grown in China since before 2000 BC, but transporting them around this vast country before they spoiled wasn’t always easy to accomplish. Today, China has modern freeways and an extensive rail system to move vegetables from the south, where many can be grown year round, to the north with its cold winters and shorter growing season.

When most people think of Chinese vegetables, they think of snow peas, bean sprouts and broccoli. But there are dozens of different vegetables grown in China. Most are no different than the vegetables found in markets around the world. And the Chinese vegetables come in most colors of the rainbow; green, yellow, red, purple and white.

Green Vegetables

Popular green vegetables grown in China include cucumbers, spinach, celery, garlic shoots, green peppers, cilantro, broccoli, lettuces, snow peas, artichokes, green onions and string beans. Chinese cabbage is known as Napa cabbage in the United States.

The Chinese also are known for growing really long string beans. These beans, which can grow up to five-feet long, are known as yard-long or long-life string beans. It is traditional to serve these beans on birthdays because the length of the bean is said to represent long life.

Yellow Vegetables

Corn is a popular vegetable in China where it’s served on and off the cob. Sometimes the kernels are sautéed with pine nuts. Sweet potatoes and ginger are also grown in China. Sweet potatoes are a popular snack in winery Beijing, where vendors bake them over hot coals in a large barrel. The heat from the roasted potatoes keeps Beijingers’ hands warm while they’re eating.

Red Vegetables

Tomatoes are grown all over China. The Chinese like to slice them on a plate, then cover them with large granules of sugar. Or they’ll sauté the tomatoes in oil, and then mix them scrambled eggs. Red and chili peppers, and radishes also are grown in China. Chili peppers are most often associated with the hot, spicy dishes which originated in Sichuan Province in Southwest China.

White Vegetables

Garlic is probably the number one white vegetable grown in China. The Chinese chop and dice it, then sauté it in oil to season a good many dishes. It is served also pickled and served as an appetizer. Potatoes are very popular, especially in the north. A popular way to prepare spuds is to shred them, soak them in water to remove the starch, then sauté them in oil and vinegar, mixing in a few green onion shreds for color. Onions, another popular seasoning vegetable, and cauliflower also are grown throughout China. Lotus root is a crunchy whitish-gold vegetable which can be served raw or mixed with other foods.

Mixed Colors

Eggplants, carrots and Chinese turnips represent other colors of the rainbow. Chinese eggplants are long, skinny and colored light purple compared to Italian eggplants which are big, tear-drop shaped and dark purple. The Chinese turnip is a very pretty lime green on the outside and fuchsia-colored on the inside. It frequently is shredded and served raw for a salad.

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