Leeks

APPEARANCE: With a white bulb at one end and green shoots at the other, this must be a sort of onion; its large size suggests leek. Indeed it is. Distinguish it from another, similarly large, onion, the dai choeng — literally “big spring onion” — by shape and by leaves. The neck of this usually swells slightly at the base, while the neck of dai choeng is uniformly cylindrical; the leaves of this are flat, while those of choeng are tubular.

QUALITY: Ignore the green leaves; choose individuals with as large, full, white, and fresh a neck as possible as this is the only part which is eaten.