Chinese Lettuce (wosun, 莴笋) is also known as Celtuce, stem lettuce, celery lettuce, and asparagus lettuce. Unlike leaf lettuce, Chinese lettuce has a thick stem, and this is the portion used in salads. As part of our series of Chinese cooking technique videos, Jing has prepared a video showing how to prepare Chinese lettuce. This includes how to peel, chop and shred the stem.
Celtuce is growing in popularity in the United States
Celtuce is one of the easiest and tastiest vegetables to use that you’ll find anywhere. Non-Chinese chefs have begun using it more and more in the past five or ten years.
The stem of the celtuce should be peeled of its tough exterior (this is not very hard; you can use a peeler or a knife), revealing an interior that’s surprisingly crisp, delicate, and mild. This interior can be eaten raw or cooked; it is fantastically versatile, tending to retain its jicama- or water-chestnut-like crispness whether pickled, grilled, roasted, or stir-fried.
Raw is my favorite way to eat it. The flavor is mild but nutty, with an almost smoky aftertaste that can be surprising given its pale green color.
https://modernfarmer.com/2016/04/celtuce/
Not only is Chinese lettuce tasty, it is nutritious
Celtuce offers a good source of potassium, fiber, calcium, vitamins A and C, folate and other nutrients. (Source: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169990/nutrients.)
How to peel, chop and shred celtuce (wosun, 莴笋)
Chinese lettuce is easy to prepare for a delicious, summer salad. You will need:
- A cutting board
- A vegetable peeler or paring knife
- A sharp kitchen knife
Remove the leafy part and any roots. Wash the celtuce thoroughly. Then peel the outer skin. Use your knife to remove any white portions of the rind remaining. Next, place the celtuce stalk on your cutting board, and cut across into thin slices. Finally, stack the slices and cut into matchstick sized shreds.
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