Mung-Bean Sprouts

These are “the” sprouts, the ones you’ll get when you ask for “bean sprouts,” fresh or canned. They’re middling in size, in between the horsey soy and the ephemeral alfalfa. They find their way into the Chinese cuisine on every level, from the simplest snack through salads to exquisite banquet dishes for which their roots (perfectly edible, if not symmetrical) are nipped off for added elegance.

Incidentally, “cellophane noodles,” also known as “powdered silk,” “long rice,” “bean thr