The essence of the Cantonese stir-fry hinges on throwing only the freshest ingredients into a searingly hot wok and allowing them to be imbued with the "breath" of the wok.
A bottle gourd or calabash cucumber which is pale green on the outside, creamy, yellowish-white inside and looks like a cucumber with a bulge at one end. Only the very young gourds are used for cooking. When older they are most commonly known as calabash and develop a hard, woody shell which may be used for making bowls and musical instruments.
Shiitake mushroom. Indigenous to the forests of China, containing eritadenine which helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. They are found growing on tree trunks in the Far East and have white stems and brown fleshy caps with white ruffled gills. Mushrooms with the edges slightly tucked under, rather than spread flat, are the best ones. Fresh shiitake are grilled and are used in soups and miso, as well as in deep-fried, nabe and custard dishes. Dried shiitake are darker in colour and have an intense, smoky, 'umami' flavour. They are sometimes sold as "winter mushrooms", which are produced in colder conditions and are especially highly regarded. In Russia they are frequently pickled.
St George's mushroom. A small white or cream mushroom that appears in parts of Europe around St George's Day on 23rd April.
Shiitake mushroom. Indigenous to the forests of China, containing eritadenine which helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. They are found growing on tree trunks in the Far East and have white stems and brown fleshy caps with white ruffled gills. Mushrooms with the edges slightly tucked under, rather than spread flat, are the best ones. Fresh shiitake are grilled and are used in soups and miso, as well as in deep-fried, nabe and custard dishes. Dried shiitake are darker in colour and have an intense, smoky, 'umami' flavour. They are sometimes sold as "winter mushrooms", which are produced in colder conditions and are especially highly regarded. In Russia they are frequently pickled.
