A lot of food in Chinese cuisine is traditionally eaten in part due to their perceived medicinal properties. With Chinese herbal medicine on the rise as a viable alternative to Western medicine, foods that are seen to improve our health are gaining in popularity. Here are some of our favorite homegrown cures for everything from mineral deficiencies to enhancing fertility and virility. Now that’s a prescription we’d happily fill up on.
Angled Luffa (See Gwa)
Known as the “silk squash” in Cantonese, the angled luffa comes from the same vegetable as shower loofahs; just as a loofah soaks up water, the angled luffa soaks up flavors. The texture is similar to cooked cucumber, and since it cooks quickly, stir-frying with garlic is the most common method of preparation. However, because the luffa also has an unfortunate tendency to soak up oil, some restaurants prefer to steam or boil it instead. As for health benefits, a helping of the vegetable can give you up to twenty percent of your required daily amount of vitamin C. Try a summery version of the dish at the Yunyan Szechuan Restaurant, which is offering a boiled clam dish with angled luffa, glass noodles and chili sauce ($120) until the end of September.
Yunyan Szechuan Restaurant, 4/F, Miramar Shopping Centre, 132-134 Nathan Rd.,
Tsim Sha Tsui, 2375 0800
Sea Cucumber (Hoi Sum)
A long, underwater slug, the sea cucumber is a bottom-feeder whose diet consists mainly of plankton. When attacked, the sea cucumber swells and stiffens before ejecting a spray of liquid from one end, leading many traditional herbalists—rather predictably—to label it an aphrodisiac. Sea cucumbers also contain all the fatty acids necessary for tissue repair as well as being rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Often served at banquets, the sea cucumber is gelatinous and is cooked in stews and braised dishes since the texture renders it extremely absorbent to flavors. The gelatin also gives the dish a heavier “mouth-feel,” an important element in Chinese cooking. For a more unusual preparation of the dish, try Alcove’s Spectacular Palace Grilled Sea Cucumber ($168).
Alcove’s, 1/F-2/F, 37 Staunton St., Central, 2975-9788.
Sea Whelk (Heung Lo)
A highly-prized delicacy in Hong Kong, but not so much in the rest of the world (except in Italy, where they are referred to as scungilli), it’s no wonder that not everyone can come up with an accurate description of the gastropod off the top of their heads. Cousin to the conch, the sea whelk is a sea snail that grows in temperate waters. It has a large muscular foot with which it holds its victims, and it’s this foot that’s considered a delicacy. Since the foot is so muscular, the whelk is best suited to brief cooking times in order to avoid chewiness. A rich source of protein, niacin, vitamin B12, and iron, sea whelk is especially popular in Chiu Chow cuisine, in which shellfish plays a major part. One Harbour Road at The Grand Hyatt is hosting a master chef from Shantou until the end of August; on the menu is an authentic Chiu Chow-grilled fresh sea whelk in spicy tomato sauce ($1,280 per catty, or $2,560 per kg). Admittedly, it’s pricey, but it’s delicious enough to be worth a try for whelk-connoisseurs and novices alike.