Vegetables

Tong Ho is both an herbal medicine and a cooked vegetable. Leaves and stems have a slightly succulent texture and a distinct and pleasant but not strong flavor, which becomes stronger with plant age. Leaves and stems can be eaten raw in salad or cooked like stir-fried or used in soups. Whether used in salad or cooked, they should be young, fresh and green, free of yellowing; wilting and the stems should be very crisp. Cook only briefly (like spinach) whether boiled or stir-fried. When it is flowering or has sign of flowering, the leaves and stems become bitter and fibrous. Low temperature storage and packaging in plastic bag slows leaf yellowing and prevent water loss. Better to allow air-drying before packing if any water on their surface. Cool to at least 5℃ before packaging. Packaging reduces water loss and adds value through improved presentation.