Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
6
THE CHINESE HERB GARDEN
Many herbs in this chapter are familiar,
some unfamiliar. All of them are good eating
and contribute to the delightfully different flavors that characterize Asian cooking. If you
want your Chinese dishes to be authentic, or even if you merely want to bring some in-
teresting new changes to favorite old recipes, learn to grow and use this sampling of
Chinese herbs. As a bonus, you'll find that many are beautiful and can be combined with
flowers for a striking and unusual display.
In China, herbs are valued for more than just flavor. Many herbs are accepted in
Chinese medicine as beneficial; some have been used for thousands of years. There are
famous herb gardens in China and Japan that contain plants from all over Asia, as well
as from Europe and Africa. In earlier times, such gardens were so cherished that special
herbs grown in them were among the presents offered in tribute to the reigning emperor.
Some were sponsored and supported by the rulers of these countries, though private herb
gardens were also cultivated. Herbal medicine has been the subject of scholarly study for
centuries in China, and this research continues today.
Bunching Onion
C
ONG
, C
HIN
C
HOONG
Allium fistulosum
(color photo, page xv)
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