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CeltuceVegetables and Vegetarian Foods
Winter Volume: 2017 Issue: 24(4) pages: 7 to 9
This cultivar in the lettuce family has a one-inch round
stem and many leaves at the top of its stem
of about twelve to fifteen inches in height. In the
US, called celtuce, a name given it in 1938 by the Atlas
Burpee Company; the Chinese call it wo sun. Some
countries call it stem lettuce, asparagus lettuce, Chinese
lettuce, Irish lettuce, or ‘raw lettuce.’ Other Chinese call
it pen-tsao. Many in both countries tell us they eat it raw
with salt and vinegar or cooked with any sauce. We use it
raw in salads and cooked
as a leafy vegetable with
sticks cut from its stem. In the Latuca/i> family,
botanists tell us there are
more than one hundred
species, some growing
three to four feet tall.
Nutritionists tell us it
has many nutrients in
small amounts, including
vitamins A, C, and K, and
the minerals calcium and
potassium. The literature
tell us their amounts are
many, maybe because of
the many species, so we
offer none because we
know not which is correct
and for which cultivar. 
Most popular in the
Sichuan Province,
there many hotels and
restaurants serving the
stalks sliced round or cut
in thin sticks. The dark
green leaves are often blanched then doused with sesame
oil and vinegar. Found on banquet tables at almost
every banquet or buffet restaurant in that province, it is
popular there and in Chinese supermarkets everywhere. Elders tell us they adore celtuce, younger folk seem less
familiar, but when they get to know it, they learn to love
its nutty, mildly sweet, and sometimes faintly sour stalks
and its dark green leaves. Not everyone knows it, perhaps
because this vegetable does not always travel well. We
wonder if that is why they are not recognized cooked or
fermented, and in hot soups or stir-fried dishes. This is
a shame because if they were, more would order them
made a myriad of ways. TCM practitioners tell us they
give them often with many a medication to mask a bitter
taste, still the Chinese do not always recognize them. In China, their seeds are considered an aphrodisiac,
and may be why they are so popular there. In India,
known by their botanical name, Lactuca indica, many
still do not knowing any of their species; is that because
so many do look alike? Few seem to know where they
originated even in that country and with that name. In China, some elders
tell us these vegetables
are related to the deity
Min, the god of fertility.
Quite a few of them did
know where they came
from and do like them
raw or cooked. Where
some of their varieties
did originate is not
always clear, but what is
known is that they went
to Malaysia from China.
They seem popular
throughout Southeast
Asia, but not as a plant,
rather for the oil pressed
from their seeds, and not
for the seeds themselves. In China, the stems
are peeled, then sliced
or made into sticks,
then par-boiled or just
blanched; and they are
often stir-fried, put in
boiled dishes, in soups.
or quickly stir-fried. In
China, we had some blanched, then served at room
temperature. We were told this is important because
they can harbor bacteria or viruses and we should not
eat them raw. No place else did we hear this advice.
This is not a problem if the stems are peeled and celtuce
is cooked. We recommend that and suggest you do so
before planning to eat them in a salad. The Chinese do
use them in dozens of dishes; and once you try some, we
bet you will, too. Incidentally, the first recipe below the Chinese say looks
like it has crab meat in it, but that is not true; so its name
is not an oversight. Vegetarians love this dish for its
taste, some for its name. You can decide after you adore
it, as they do. Mock Crab With Eggs |
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Ingredients:
½ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
½ pound carrots, peeled and diced
½ pound celtuce stems peeled, sliced and cut in quarters
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
5 eggs, separated, and each beaten until thick
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
Preparation:
1. Peel, then blanch each vegetable stem separately for
one minute. Then drain them one by one on paper
towels before cutting them and mixing them together;
one chap said this was to assure no uninvited guests
in them.
2. Then, heat a wok or fry pan, add the oil, then the
ginger and the garlic, and stir for one minute before
adding them one at a time and stir-frying them for
up to one minute each; he said this provides many
different textures of their stems.
3. Then add the egg whites, and stir-fry them and all
the stems for one minute before adding the egg yolks
and frying them for one more minute. Next add the
sesame oil and fry this as a pancake on the first side
until golden then turn it over and fry this pancake-like
item on the second side, also for one minute on the
second side. Now put it on a pre-heated plate, cut it
into wedges, and serve immediately.
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Celtuce, Scallions, and Oil |
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Ingredients:
3 celtuce stems, peeled, thinly sliced, the slices slivered
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 scallion, green parts only, slivered
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Preparation:
1. Mix celtuce strips and salt, then put in a colander or
strainer and drain them for half an hour, then rinse and
drain them.
2. Heat oil in a wok or fry pan, add the scallion slivers
then the sugar, and toss well before mixing these with
the celtuce strips and sir-frying them for one minute,
and then remove all to a pre-heated plate or small
platter, and serve.
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Stir-fried Celtuce |
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Ingredients:
2 celtuce stalks, peeled and angle sliced
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
Preparation:
1. Mix celtuce slices and half the oil and set aside in a
small bowl.
2. Heat the rest of the vegetable oil and when hot, add
celtuce pieces and their oil and stir-fry for two minutes.
3. Add the salt and sesame oil, and put everything in a
pre-heated bowl, and serve.
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Chicken Three Colors |
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Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into one-inch cubes
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon Chinese Shao Xing wine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 celtuce stems, peeled and cut in to thin circles
1 carrot, peeled and cut at angles then into thin angle-shaped circles
1 green pepper, seeded and cut in diamond shapes
3 slices fresh ginger, minced cloves and the fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 scallion, angle-sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Preparation:
1. Mix chicken breast cubes with the egg white,
cornstarch, wine, and salt and let rest for ten minutes.
2. Next, heat a wok or fry-pan, add the oil, and the
marinated chicken cube mixture and stir-fry this for
two minutes, then add the celtuce, green pepper and
scallion pieces and stir-fry another minute or two.
3. Now add the ginger, garlic, sugar, and the ground
pepper, and stir for two more minutes, then put
everything in a pre-heated bowl and serve.
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Song Dynasty Beef, Celery and Celtuce |
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Ingredients:
½ pound beef steak, sliced thin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons Shao Xing wine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 stalks celtuce, peeled and angle sliced
3 stalks celery, strings removed, and angle sliced
2 scallions, minced
1 red chili pepper, seeded and thin sliced
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppers, mashed
5 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Tablespoon sa cha sauce
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 scallion, angle sliced, separated by color
½ cup chicken stock
Preparation:
1. Marinate beef in a mixture of cornstarch, wine, and the
salt for fifteen minutes.
2. Then heat a wok or fry pan, add the oil, then the beef
and stir-fry this for one minute, then remove it to a
strainer set over a small bowl.
3. In remaining oil, fry the celtuce, celery, scallions, and
the mashed chili pepper for one minute, then add both
sauces and stir this twice, then add the white scallion
pieces and stir-fry for two minutes.
4. Now add the chicken stock and beef pieces and stir
three times before putting everything into a pre-heated
bowl, sprinkle the green scallion pieces on top, and serve.
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Garlic Chives, Broccoli, and Celtuce |
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Ingredients:
3 broccoli stems, peeled and cut as matchsticks
3 stalks celtuce, peeled and cut as matchsticks
3 garlic chives, minced
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup cold chicken stock
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Preparation:
1. Blanch the broccoli and celtuce separately, each for two
minutes, then drain well.
2. Heat a wok, add the oil and fry each vegetable
separately for two minutes, then drain each one and then
toss them together.
3. Mix chicken stock with the cornstarch, then add the
garlic chives and salt to this and bring to the boil until
it thickens, then pour into individual pre-heated soup
bowls, and serve.
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Piquant Celtuce |
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Ingredients:
2 celtuce stalks, peeled, the leaves saved for another use, the stalks sliced and cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon coarse salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 red chili pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoons sesame oil
Preparation:
1. Mix celtuce strips and salt with one cup cold water for
half an hour, then rinse and drain, and dry with paper
towels.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or fry-pan. Add the Sichuan
peppercorns, and stir-fry for one minute.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook for one more
minute, then turn off the heat and stir in the celtuce with
the heat source turned off. Let this rest two minutes,
then serve hot or warm.
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Celtuce With Dried Shrimp |
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Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons dried shrimp
1 Tablespoon Chinese rice wine
3 stalks celtuce, stems peeled and slice thin
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons vegetable stock
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with same amount of cold water
1 teaspoon thin soy sauce
3 sets of leaves from tops of celtuce, chopped
Preparation:
1. Mix shrimp, wine and celtuce stems with three
tablespoons boiling water; set aside for half an hour.
2. Heat wok or fry pan, add the oil and then the shrimp
mixture and stir-fry for two minutes, then add stock and
cornstarch mixture and stir for one minute, then add
the soy sauce and the celtuce leaves and stir-fry another
two minutes, then serve in a preheated bowl.
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