You probably haven’t heard of tong ho, or chrysanthemum, because it isn’t often talked about or seen in the Western world.
However, it has recently become one of our family’s favorite leafy greens! Learn more about this healthy vegetable and how to cook it.
What are green chrysanthemums?
Chrysanthemum greens are the leaves of an edible chrysanthemum plant, Glebione coronary artery, although you won’t catch us using the scientific name! This vegetable is known as contribute (茼蒿) in Mandarin and tong ho in Cantonese.
It comes in two main varieties. One has small serrated leaves and long stems (pictured here). The other has wider rounded leaves with much shorter stems. From our experience, the large-leaved variety has a stronger aromatic flavor than the smaller-leaved variety.
Tong ho has a unique and slightly bitter flavor. Some think it tastes like celery, but you really have to try it for yourself. I think the flavor is better than that! It also has a very high nutritional value, rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre.
It grows best in colder climates, meaning you’ll generally only find it in the colder months, which is why it’s often found in soups, stews, and hot pots! (It’s a key ingredient in Sarah’s Japanese Hot Pot Sukiyaki). You can also fry it, like we’re doing here.
Prepare and fry the chrysanthemum greens
While most of our stir-fries are simple, with just garlic, maybe ginger, and salt, here we add another key ingredient: soy sauce.
Chinese light soy sauce, to be more precise! (Any soy sauce will do, but take a couple of minutes to read our soy sauce article to learn more about Chinese light soy sauce.)
Although we rarely add soy sauce to green leaf fries, tong ho has a very pronounced flavor, complemented by the umami that soy sauce brings to the table! It brings the dish together and makes the vegetables even tastier.
To make your tong ho/chrysanthemum, separate each stem into two or three pieces and discard the tough stems.
Soak them in a large basin of water for a good 10 minutes to loosen any dirt and grit.
Remove the vegetables from the soaking water and place them in a colander, rinse the basin and repeat the operation 2 more times to make sure the vegetables are clean.
Before you are ready to cook, drain as much water as possible! Too much water stuck to the vegetables will make the final dish too watery. This will dilute the flavor of the dish.
Green Chrysanthemums: Recipe Instructions
Heat the wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the oil, quickly followed by the garlic and chrysanthemum leaves.
Stir-fry for a few seconds, then quickly add the light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt.
Mix and mix everything well (always over high heat), until the vegetables are wilted. This should take no more than 2-3 minutes. Plate and serve immediately!
Stir-fried Tong Ho (edible chrysanthemum greens)
Learn more about tong ho, or chrysanthemum, a tasty Asian leafy green vegetable, and how to cook it!
serve: 4
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooked: 5 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Instructions
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Heat the wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the oil, quickly followed by the garlic and chrysanthemum leaves. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then quickly add the light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt.
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Mix and mix everything well (always over high heat), until the vegetables are wilted. This should take no more than 2-3 minutes. Plate and serve immediately!
nutritional values
Calories: 161kcal (8%) Carbohydrates: 5G (2%) Protein: 3G (6%) Fat: 15G (23%) Saturated fats: 1G (5%) Polyunsaturated fats: 4G Monounsaturated fat: 9G Trans fats: 0.1G Sodium: 340mg (14%) Potassium: 18mg (1%) Fiber: 3G (12%) Sugar: 0.1G Vitamin A: 12UI C vitamin: 145mg (176%) Soccer: 273mg (27%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
