I like fresh water chestnuts in Chinese cooking but my favorite Chinese
grocery does not seem to have them in. Another nearby Chinese place had
excellent ones at not too high a price. Can anyone tell me if water
chestnuts are a seasonal vegetable in the US and, if so, what is the season?
--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

James Silverton wrote:
>
>I like fresh water chestnuts in Chinese cooking but my favorite Chinese
>grocery does not seem to have them in. Another nearby Chinese place had
>excellent ones at not too high a price. Can anyone tell me if water
>chestnuts are a seasonal vegetable in the US and, if so, what is the season?

Native to southern China they're grown in flooded paddys, they need
seven months of very hot weather to mature
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/food...erchestnut.htm
http://www.tadege.com/chinesewaterchestnuts.htm
http://www.raingarden.us/waterchestnut.pdf


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleocharis_dulcis

On 7/19/2014 8:26 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:11:02 -0400, James Silverton wrote:
>
>> I like fresh water chestnuts in Chinese cooking but my favorite Chinese
>> grocery does not seem to have them in. Another nearby Chinese place had
>> excellent ones at not too high a price. Can anyone tell me if water
>> chestnuts are a seasonal vegetable in the US and, if so, what is the season?
>
> I see them in the late summer through fall. I often use jicima
> instead, depending on what I'm making.
>
> -sw
>

I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.

I would probably relegate the use of jicama to dishes with pronounced
sauces as I would think you could taste jicama if the rest of the dis
was not seasoned well.

This is one of the reasons I love this group. The occasional chocolate
is worth sorting through the dog poop :-)

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

On 7/19/2014 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 7/19/2014 8:26 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>> On Sat, 19 Jul 2014 08:11:02 -0400, James Silverton wrote:
>>
>>> I like fresh water chestnuts in Chinese cooking but my favorite Chinese
>>> grocery does not seem to have them in. Another nearby Chinese place had
>>> excellent ones at not too high a price. Can anyone tell me if water
>>> chestnuts are a seasonal vegetable in the US and, if so, what is the
>>> season?
>>
>> I see them in the late summer through fall. I often use jicima
>> instead, depending on what I'm making.
>>
>> -sw
>>
>
> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.
>
> I would probably relegate the use of jicama to dishes with pronounced
> sauces as I would think you could taste jicama if the rest of the dis
> was not seasoned well.
>
> This is one of the reasons I love this group. The occasional chocolate
> is worth sorting through the dog poop :-)
>
I must try jicama in the recipe I have for water chestnut and asparagus
stir fry that I like a lot. Now that I recall, jicama is close to water
chestnut in taste as you say but I've usually had it raw. It's good in
gazpacho soup.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

On 7/19/14, 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:

> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.

I can see the similarity in density, but does jicama give you that same
light crunch?

-- Larry

On 7/19/2014 5:02 PM, pltrgyst wrote:
> On 7/19/14, 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
>> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
>> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
>> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.
>
> I can see the similarity in density, but does jicama give you that same
> light crunch?
>
> -- Larry
>
>

I think it does.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

On 7/19/2014 8:45 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> On 7/19/2014 5:02 PM, pltrgyst wrote:
>> On 7/19/14, 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>>
>>> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
>>> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
>>> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.
>>
>> I can see the similarity in density, but does jicama give you that same
>> light crunch?
>>
>> -- Larry
>>
>>
>
> I think it does.
>
There's nothing for it but to try things out but it will be a little
time before I can do it. I bought enough water chestnuts for two meals,
I don't eat them all that often and they don't keep indefinitely.

--
Jim Silverton (Potomac, MD)

Extraneous "not." in Reply To.

On 7/19/2014 11:03 AM, Janet Wilder wrote:
> The occasional chocolate
> is worth sorting through the dog poop :-)

Now that's an image I may never get out of my head. (-:

--
DreadfulBitch

I'm a nobody, nobody is perfect, therefore I'm perfect.

On 7/19/2014 5:02 PM, pltrgyst wrote:
> On 7/19/14, 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
>> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
>> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
>> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.
>
> I can see the similarity in density, but does jicama give you that same
> light crunch?
>
> -- Larry

Jicama is crunchy, the crunch is similar to a radish without the heat.

Becca

Ema Nymton wrote:
>pltrgyst wrote:
>> Janet Wilder wrote:
>>
>>> I never thought of doing that, but it makes sense. The texture is almost
>>> identical and most of the time when you are using water chestnuts in
>>> Chinese cooking you are using it for texture.
>>
>> I can see the similarity in density, but does jicama give you that same
>> light crunch?
>
>Jicama is crunchy, the crunch is similar to a radish without the heat.

I don't think jicama is a substitute for water chestnut in oriental
dishes, it may be crunchy but not in a starchy way. If I didn't have
water chestnut I'd simply omit it. The closest vegetable I can think
of to water chestnut that's readily available are those canned
potatoes.

On 7/20/2014 7:23 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 20 Jul 2014 11:40:57 -0400, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
>> I don't think jicama is a substitute for water chestnut in oriental
>> dishes, it may be crunchy but not in a starchy way. If I didn't have
>> water chestnut I'd simply omit it. The closest vegetable I can think
>> of to water chestnut that's readily available are those canned
>> potatoes.
>
> More Food Gems from Pussy Katz. Water chestnut is NOTHING like canned
> potatoes. Sounds like you've never even HAD a water chestnuts, just
> seen pictures of them sliced.
>
> -sw
>
How do you know he's seen pictures of sliced water chestnuts? Do we
have pictures to prove it?

Jill

On 7/19/2014 12:03 PM, Janet Wilder wrote:
>
> This is one of the reasons I love this group. The occasional chocolate
> is worth sorting through the dog poop :-)

Agree! I really liked Jim's question about when water chestnuts are in
season and would never have thought to ask that, as I also love them in
my home cooked Chinese-esque dishes.

--
ღ.¸¸.œ«*¨`*œ¶
Cheryl