Today is the last day of the Chinese New Year 2022 festival. Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, falls on February 1st and lasts about 15 days in total. On the 15th day on the first lunar month, another important traditional Chinese festival, the Chinese Lantern Festival or Yuan Xiao Jie or Yuanxiao Festival, is celebrated.
According to the Chinese calendar and Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger.
Your home garden can be inspired by Chinese cuisine with many of the hardy greens that thrive in cool spring weather. These crops are very easy to grow and early maturing.
Pac Choi: also known as Bok Choy, have thicker stems and leaves. Pac choi is best for making stir fries and a flavourful side dish. Learn how to make pac choi here.
Tah Tsai: grows as a flat rosette, rather than pac choi’s upright urn-shape. Tah tsai leaves are mild and succulent but a great addition to salad mixes and in stir-fry or soup.
Choi Sum: the crisp flower stems and tender leaves are reminiscent of fresh asparagus. Choi sum is a bitter brassica often paired with garlic and chilies.
Mizuna: a feathery green that is the earliest to grow (as early as February with crop protection). Mizuna’s mildly peppery baby greens are often mixed into salads or as a side dish with roasted foods.
Gai Lan: also known as Chinese Broccoli, gai lan is slightly more bitter tasting than Western broccoli. It is a perfect complement to balance strong sauces such as oyster sauce.
Sui choi: this “nappa” cabbage is perfect in salads and its study leaves are a foundation of spicy kimchi (pickled/fermented cabbage). Sui choi is enjoyed best chopped and stir-fried with thick noodles.