Bean Sprouts

In primary school, I used to throw small, green mung beans in the garden soil and watch them grow into sprouts. Make sure to buy perky, earthy smelling sprouts. Older shoppers tend to pluck a sprout or two, a quick snap indicating freshness. Sprouts soaked in water do not necessarily indicate freshness. After purchase, the root ends of bean sprouts are plucked off and any green-black hulls are fluffed off. This can be painstaking and often a good chore passed on to a young child keen to learn to cook! Bean sprouts are most often blanched before serving with laksa or gado gado.