New York Blog

Robert Sietsema

Thank you so much for the info! I thought it might be ong choy, except for the toughness and woodiness of the stems. Maybe the vegetable is a sort of generic in China, and several species might be included under the general name. And thanks especially for the restaurant tip.

Any other vegetarian recs in particular at HH would be great. Thanks!

My favorite dish growing up in Hunan! Water Spinach, Water Convulus and Ong Choy are all the same vegetable. It is classified as a weed in the US b/c of it's prolific growth. In Hunan we stir fry the stems with with black beans, garlic, tons of preserved peppers (duo la jiao) and chinkiang vinegar. Methodology varies but my family always did a "dry stir fry" where you don't put any oil in the wok initially until the stems get soft. Then you add the oil and at the last minute the vinegar. Adding the vinegar too early would cause the stems to lose the crunch and the bright green color. Wish I was back in Changsha now enjoying the dish.

The leaves are more prolific in other areas of China and Asia. You can find them at numerous restaurants in NYC but the best and most authentic version I've had was actually at Pho Bang on Mott. Vietnamese and Malaysian restaurants often carry the dish with black bean sauce or shrimp paste. Another Hunan specific way of preparing the leaves is with fermented bean curd juice.

Holy Shitake --

Thanks for giving us the Chinese name of those preserved peppers. I love them!