Rosy-leafed toon: Eat it now or never

Technological advancements in vegetable production and greenhouses have made it possible to eat most vegetables all year round, but some seasonal bites still only last a little while. The small leafy xiangchun is one example.

The young, tender leaves of the Chinese mahogany tree (also known as Chinese toon or red toon), xiangchun has a very strong and rich aroma that some find hard to accept. It is also the most cherished vegetable in the fresh produce market. It's not sold by kilos, but by grams.

People usually fry xiangchun with eggs or tofu. Xiangchun is also delicious to be chopped and mixed with flour to make a frying batter for shrimp, or simply fried with smoky Chinese bacon and spicy peppers. Cold appetizer options include tofu and xiangchun salad, and lapi (clear potato noodles) with xiangchun. For the latter, the leaves are blanched in boiling water and then chopped into fine pieces once cool, then mixed with lapi and dressing.

Try it before it disappears from markets in the next weeks. (Once the leaves get larger and turn green, they lose much of the floral, oniony flavor.)

In Chinese literature, the mature tree (Toona sinensis) is often used as a metaphor for a father. In that context, the daylily represents the mother.

China Daily