Sauteed Rape

Flavor: Mild and Gingery — Dinner: Menu

Despite its unfortunate English name, rape is a delicious vegetable. A member of the mustard family, it has dark green leaves and yellow, goldenrod-like flowers. The Chinese name for it, youcai, or “oil vegetable,” is far more appropriate, for its thick stems contain a considerable amount of oil. When cooked, rape has a slightly bitter, yet buttery, taste.

Rape was such a common vegetable in Szechwan that Mrs. Chiang