Why is choy sum called the heart of jade?

As deep winter sets in, choy sum becomes a common sight at the market.

Although choy sum is fairly cooling in nature, whenever I see straight, tender, good-quality choy sum, I still cannot resist buying two stalks to take home and prepare slowly.

Whenever I prepare choy sum, I think of a story about choy sum that a mother once told.....

There was a period when she had to make bento for her uncle. At that time, her uncle had come from a rural village to work in the big city, relying on the care of his elder brother and sister-in-law. She remembers that the bento contained quickly stir-fried and cold-dressed choy sum. Her uncle praised this choy sum endlessly. Besides its deliciousness, he was also very surprised. It turned out that people in the city ate this choy sum. The implication was that choy sum was a vegetable despised by country people, yet people in the city treasured it so much and prepared it to be so crisp and tasty, so he kept asking for this cold-dressed choy sum in his bento.

Choy sum is indeed not an expensive vegetable, but it is loved by everyone, young and old. In the taste memories from childhood, it was also listed among my favorite dishes, and I could keep eating bite after bite. The flavor is said to be refreshing, but it also goes very well with rice.

Preparing choy sum is, so to speak, very comforting. Sometimes I see older women pull out a small stool, hold a knife in hand, and peel choy sum, treating it as a kind of miscellaneous little chore under the eaves. While chatting, they peel the coarse choy sum into a smooth, jade-like strip. That is how choy sum becomes something delicious.

Now, when I peel choy sum, I also quietly admire this beautiful texture, its slick surface glistening in the light. At the vegetable stall, there may be semi-finished peeled and pickled choy sum done for you, rolled into a ring and packed in a plastic bag, truly like a little green snake. But enjoying the process of peeling or trimming vegetables is very healing and calming, so there is no need to buy such convenience for myself and lose the chance to practice.

Practice peeling choy sum, learning how to peel it without waste and with the fibers clean so they do not prick the mouth. Or peeling one stalk of choy sum also lets you see the process from the outside to the inside. This kind of practice is exactly the apprenticeship that gives you a chance the next time you buy delicious tender choy sum.

Once peeled, choy sum looks bare and smooth. Considering the size for eating and the thickness and texture after pickling, cut it into pieces. If you want the choy sum to be elegant, cut it on the diagonal into neat pieces. If you like the choy sum to be cute, cut it crosswise into slice after slice, letting large and small circles form it. After cutting, sprinkle with salt, toss off the salt, and chill to release water, hoping the choy sum will be slightly pickled, a little crisp, a little soft, not too salty, and yet with enough saltiness.

Garlic and soy sauce are a good pair. A little oil temperature lets the garlic bloom full of spirit, then add the choy sum and stir-fry, flipping it twice, then add soy sauce, lightly coating each piece of choy sum. A little sesame oil is also good to drive off the cold. After stir-frying, do not eat these choy sum yet. Wait until they cool a bit or have been chilled, and when all the flavors merge into one, the choy sum becomes delicious. I hope the sauce color will not stain the beautiful translucent green. Served in a white porcelain container or a clear glass bowl, it pairs best with soft white hot rice.

I like the beauty of choy sum, so I also enjoy the process of preparing it. I know that what the mother said was actually about handling vegetables. If you prepare choy sum well and make it delicious, it will make people look at it with new eyes, and it is by no means the choy sum that was despised.

Choy sum is usually the foundation of the vegetable. Before it grows into a delicious vegetable, it is the pillar of life, the heart of the vegetable, the heart of jade. Whether it is lettuce choy sum, cabbage choy sum, green cauliflower choy sum, or white cauliflower choy sum, as long as the choy sum is prepared well and its rough, calloused skin is carefully peeled away, it is a lovely inner heart. Boiled in soup for a clear sweetness, or dried, or quickly stir-fried while fresh, it is also a good dish on the table. But it depends on the heart of the person cooking, whether it is a delicate, resource-conscious, steady, and gentle heart.