'Grass' with spirit

Warm spring weather in Shanghai means it's time for the popular local dish jiu xiang cao tou (grass head or tips).

The regional plant, says Chinese master chef John Ma at Dragon Phoenix in the Fairmont Peace Hotel, is called jin hua cai, a favorite in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces as well as in Shanghai.

It's unavailable in winter, when the "grass" doesn't grow and there is no fresh top. But the dish is everywhere in springtime, with a fresh, nutty taste that comes from a surprising ingredient: baijiu (white liquor).