By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Where are the courgettes?
I've been here in Beijing for a while but the one thing I can't seem to get are courgettes (zuccinis for you guys from across the pond). I've bought several things that look like courgettes but turned out to be horribly bitter and some really horrible shriveled ones from BHG that had no flavour. Are they just not used in Chinese cooking or am I being really blind?
In Zhuhai they are plentiful. All open air markets and supermarkets have them.
I don't know where you are from, so I'm not sure which variety of courgette you are used to. If you are looking for deep dark green courgette like we have in Europe, I never found those. There's a vegetable that looks exactly the same, a bit larger, very light green, almost pastel green with a milkish ting : it's a courgette variety, tastes the same, you cook it the almost the same way. Cooking times are a bit different, I think (it's been many years I haven't been back in Europe)
I've bought and cooked something that resembled a proper courgette, but the flavour and texture were terrible- really spongey.
I'm gonna try a new market this weekend, wish me luck!
DrMonkey:
I think I see what you mean. I never had success cooking the local version to make it crunchy, and one attempt at stuffed courgette was a total failure : the courgette kinda melted into a wet goop. Fried with other vegetable or cooked as a ratatouille, it went fine. I guess the local courgette have more water ?
