Spring Onions

Choeng

Appears in

A Cook’s Guide to Chinese Vegetables

By Martha Dahlen

Published 1992

About

Botanical Table

APPEARANCE: Europeans and North Americans will know these as scallions or green onions.

Note that the leaves are tubular and a white bulb is present (cf. Chinese chives, gau choi), and that they are usually sold individually, year-round (cf. Kiangsi chives, kiu choi).

QUALITY: In accordance with the Cantonese belief that the bulb is the best part, select sturdy plants with long white necks. Often the smaller bulbs have a milder flavor.

COMMENTS: According to the Cantonese, although the greens may be more conspicuous, the white bulb is more valuable. Like other onions, these are classified as warming and pungent, with qualities that can stimulate and improve digestion. Unlike the larger onions, they are mild, hence seldom offensive, and welcome in a wide range of dishes, for color, flavor, and the ability to mask potentially unpleasant odors. Furthermore, spring onions are reputed to have the ability to ward off the common cold in its early stages — simply simmer a handful of choeng in water with a bit of mint or ginger, then go to bed while the pungency induces perspiration, thereby expelling the “cold”.