Toon temptations in spring

Editor's note: To understand China you have to sit down to eat. Food is the adhesive that holds the Chinese social fabric together. In the face of increasing globalization, food is also one of the last strong visages of community and culture.

Every year in the early spring, deep maroon shoots bud along the nodes of the toon tree for just a few short weeks. These tender leaves seldom stay on the branches long and they are soon harvested by owners or opportunists for the first fresh salads of spring.

Toon is probably the only tree vegetable in China, and its leaves are pungent and definitely an acquired taste.

Toon is probably the only tree vegetable in China. Fang Dehua / For China Daily

From north to south, it is the herald of spring and marks the beginning of the growing season. Its Chinese name, xiangchun, literally means the "fragrance of spring". Although it is Chinese in origin, it has spread to many countries, although not necessarily as food.

My spouse noted that several avenues in Washington were planted with toon trees while he was working as a journalist in the US capital. There were purple shoots just like in China, he said, but nobody harvested them.

Like the law-abiding citizen he is, he resisted the temptation to pluck some and so he doesn't know if they tasted the same.

As a new daughter-in-law arriving in Beijing, I had my first taste of toon leaf salad at my mother-in-law's courtyard home in the hutong, a traditional residential area. The shoots came from a tree behind the house, which my brother-in-law had deftly climbed up and harvested.

All these many years later, in a suburb in the south end of the city, our little garden, too, boasts two toon trees. They are now just beginning to bud and we are already drooling at the culinary prospects.

To the Chinese, the toon tree makes its presence felt in the early days of spring and that first taste of the pungent leaves in an omelet or simply tossed in a salad with tender tofu is also confirmation that the long bitter winter is really over.

Food is symbolic in China, and certain foods must be eaten at certain months or in certain seasons. This was a long-kept tradition long before the activist debate over food miles - the distance between production and consumption - ever entered public consciousness.

This has been how our ancestors ate, and we still continue cooking with one eye on the farmer's almanac. Spring greens from the good earth is one way of cleansing palates dulled by a winter diet full of pickles and preserves.

In the good old days, toon trees were everywhere, a sign of nature's bounty. China's warp-speed urbanization means the jungles are now concrete with carefully cultivated decorative green, and toon trees are getting rare in the cities.

Fortunately, rural farmers have seized upon the commercial opportunity of satisfying city dwellers with their annual craving for toon. Improved logistics also mean that warmer climes in the south are freighting toon shoots to the north, at premium prices.

The even more enterprising have taken to sprouting toon seedlings out of season, much like alfalfa sprouts. These are beloved by modern Chinese chefs who adorn their fusion creations with these micro sprigs of green.

Whether greenhouse sprouts or naturally grown shoots freshly plucked from trees, the Chinese toon is one unique ingredient. It is also the litmus test for those who claim they like Chinese food.

It tastes like a cross between garlic, fermented chives and mustard greens, or a heady combination of all of the above. There are some who even say it is more addictive than marijuana.

But, unlike the medical weed, toon is chock full of nutrition, with so many vitamins and so much iron that it can turn black in a metal skillet. It also possesses an enzyme that is slightly diuretic, quite similar to asparagus.

In the southern provinces such as Guangzhou, Fujian and Taiwan, toon leaves are chopped and preserved as a dark sauce that can go over noodles, fried with rice or steamed with meat or fish.

Personally, I think it lacks the kick of the fresh produce.

Don't take my word for it. Drop into a Chinese grocers near you and see if you can locate a fresh bundle of toon shoots. Here are three delicious recipes for you to try.

Three dishes you can try

Toon Fishes

These are very light fritters that are excellent beer food. The name comes from the shape of the leaves spreading out like goldfish tails.

One bundle of fresh toon shoots

One egg yolk

Two tbsp plain flour

One tbsp cornstarch

Half cup very cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Trim hard nodes off toon shoots. Rinse quickly in cold water and shake dry.

Make batter by mixing egg yolk, flour, cornstarch and cold water together.

Take each individual toon shoot and dredge lightly in batter and deep fry in oil over medium heat. As soon as batter turns pale golden brown, remove and drain over kitchen paper.

Serve at once, sprinkling over salt and pepper just before eating.

Toon Omelet

A very popular Beijing dish and immensely simple to make. Just do not over cook.

One bundle of fresh toon shoots

Two large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Trim hard nodes off toon shoots and pour a kettle of boiling water over them. Plunge into very cold water to stop the cooking.

Chop up toon leaves into 1 cm lengths. Squeeze out excess water.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat up a skillet with a generous amount of oil coating the bottom and pour in egg. Add chopped toon leaves immediately.

Flip the omelet as soon as the bottom is set and remove from heat. Allow residual heat to cook the omelet.

Serve immediately. Overcooking will darken the toon leaves and leave your omelet an unappetizing gray.

Toon and Tofu Salad

The taste of spring in every cool, delicious mouthful.

One block of silken tofu

One bundle of toon shoots

Sesame oil, salt and pepper

Chill block of silken tofu well. Carefully ease out on a plate and drain excess water.

Trim hard nodes off toon shoots and blanch in boiling water. Remove and squeeze dry.

Chop up toon shoots and season generously with salt, pepper and sesame oil. You need stronger flavors to complement the blandness of the tofu.

Spread seasoned toon shoots over the block of tofu. Mix just before serving, at the table.

pauline@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 03/25/2016 page19)