ScarlettIcy Longan with Osmanthus Fragran
December 11th 2008 06:00
Icy Longan with Osmanthus Fragran
About longan
The longan is a tropical tree native to southern China. It is also found in Southeast Asia. It is also called guiyuan in Chinese, lengkeng in Indonesia, mata kucing (literally “cat’s eye”) in Malaysia, nhãn in Vietnamese (The Species: Euphoria longana Lamk named “long nhãn” in Vietnamese – literally “dragon’s eyes”, Mora in Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) and also “longan” in Tagalog.
Dried longan (Chinese: pinyin; literally “round meat”) are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it is believed to have an effect on relaxation. In contrast with the fresh fruit, which is juicy and white, the flesh of dried longans is dark brown to almost black. In Chinese medicine the longan, much like the lychee, is considered a “warm” fruit.
About jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree of the mulberry family (Moraceae) native to parts of South and Southeast Asia. The fruit is named after William Jack (1795-1822), a botanist who worked for the East India Company in Bengal, Sumatra and Malaysia. It is well suited to tropical lowlands. Its fruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world, seldom less than about 25cm/10in in diameter. Even a relatively thin tree, around 10cm / 4in diameter, can bear large fruit.
The fruits can reach 36 kg / 80 lb in weight and up to 90 cm / 36 in long and 50 cm / 20-in in diameter. The jackfruit is something of an acquired taste, but it is very popular in many parts of the world. The sweet yellow sheaths around the seeds are about 3-5 mm thick and have a taste similar to that of pineapple, but milder and less juicy.
Jackfruit is commonly used in south and Southeast Asian cuisines. It can be eaten unripe (young) or ripe, and cooked or uncooked. The seeds can also be eaten cooked or baked like beans; they taste similar to chestnuts. The leaves are sometimes used as a wrapping for steamed Idlis.
An unopened ripe fruit can have an unpleasant smell, like rotting onions. The light brown to black seeds with white innards are about 2-3 inches long. People often oil their hands with coconut oil, mustard oil or paraffin before preparing jackfruit, as the rest of the fruit is a loose white mass that bleeds a milky, sticky sap often used as glue.
Unripe (young) jackfruit can also be eaten whole. Young jackfruit has a mild flavour and distinctive texture. The cuisines of India, Bangladesh, sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam use cooked young jackfruit. In many cultures, jackfruit is boiled and used in curries as a food staple.
About osmanthus fragrans
Osmanthus fragrans (sweet osmanthus; Chinese: guìhuā; Japanese: kinmokuser; also known as Sweet Olive, Tea Olive and Fragrant Olive) is a species of Osmanthus native to Asia, from the Himalaya east through southern China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan) and to Taiwan and to southern Japan. Sweet osmanthus is also the ‘city flower’ of Hangzhou, China.
In Chinese, the plant is called xī or guìhuā, and its flowers, called guì huā (literally “cinnamon flower” or “cassia flower”) are used, infused with green or black tea leaves, to create a scented tea called guì huā chá.
Osmanthus jam is used as an ingredient in a type of gruel called cháatāng, which is made from sorghum or millet flour and sugar mixed with boiling water. This dish is typical of the northern city of Tianjin, although it may also be found in Beijing.
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 plate
10-12 fresh longan flesh, cored
4 jackfruit, cut into strips
For the sauce
1 tablespoon osmanthus fragran
1 tablespoon osmanthus fragran wine
1 preserved plum flesh, chopped
1. To prepare the icy longan and jackfruit, chill the longan flesh and jackfruit strips until set. Set aside.
2. For the sauce. Place the osmanthus fragran and wine together into a bowl.
3. Add in the preserved plum, mix well. Set aside.
4. Shortly before serving, put the icy fruit flesh from the fridge, then transfer to a cold serving plate. Pour over the reserved sauce and serve.
**From “Fine Desserts with Less Sugar” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
| 44 |
| Vote |
