What is the difference between the Winged Bean and the Asparagus Pea?

Photo courtesy:  Crocus.co.uk - Asparagus Pea

Recently, I have been searching for a bean that I used to often eat in Malaysia - a bean that doesn't look like a regular bean, but has four frilly sides to it.  It is called the Winged Bean or the Four-Angled Bean.  It is a lovely, crunchy bean that is really delicious stir-fried with a spicy chilli, garlic and shrimp paste mix.

After searching for seeds online, I finally stumbled across the Asparagus Pea, which looks identical to the Winged Bean.  So, the question is - is there a difference between the Winged Bean and the Asparagus Pea?

Growing Chinese Vegetables: Grow Tatsoi

Tatsoi is a vegetable that I had not heard of until a few years ago when I started to grow my own vegetables.  It's an attractive looking vegetable with a rosette of leaves that opens close to the ground.  I have read here (Kitazawa seeds) that Tatsoi tends to grow flatter in the winter, but will grow upright during the warmer months.  Isn't that interesting?  The Tatsoi that I have planted has never grown big enough for me to see the full effect -- I harvest them as baby leaves, and then they always seem to run to seed.

Grow Chinese Vegetables : Lovely Chinese Broccoli growing in our garden

Kai Lan / Chinese Broccoli growing in the vegetable patch

After quite a few months of growing in our garden, the Chinese Broccoli (also known as Gai Lan, Kai Lan, Kai Laan, Chinese Kale) has finally grown into a decent size.  Earlier, we harvested smaller leaves from the same Kai Lan, when it was much smaller.

Asian Style Garlic Stir-Fried Purple Sprouting Broccoli Recipe

Just a few Purple sprouting broccoli plants will provide a substantial yield of tender tasty  stems.  The question now, is how will you cook and eat yours?  Broccoli in our household is treated in the same manner as any other Asian green. It is simply stir-fried in the wok, it is never boiled or steamed.

Its Time to Harvest the Purple Sprouting Broccoli! (Part 2)

Harvesting shoots of Purple Sprouting Broccoli

With great patience comes great rewards - at long last, the purple sprouting broccoli is ready to be harvested!  When I first arrived in the UK, I grew this as a kind of "Kai Lan" (Chinese Broccoli) substitute, because I love Kai Lan, but couldn't seem to find any locally.

Growing Purple Sprouting Broccoli - Is it worth the wait? (Part 1)

Ready to Harvest Purple Sprouting Broccoli

One of the first vegetables I ever grew was this Purple Sprouting Broccoli.  The seed packet had said Sowing: April - May, Harvest: March-April, and I had interpreted it to mean that it only took one month from sowing to harvesting.  Oh! How wrong I was! Four weeks after sowing the seeds, I was very surprised to see only small seedlings and no sprouting anything in sight.  I quickly learnt (after some googling), that it actually meant that it would take a whole year before I could harvest anything, and by that stage, I had already sowed lots of seeds!!

Harvesting and Eating Mizuna

Our Purple Mizuna Harvest

Mizuna is still growing in our garden from the last year.  The plants are now starting to get quite big, so the leaves will picked, sauteed with extra virgin olive oil or as a treat, a small amount of butter.  Add to that, a pinch of sea salt and they are ready to be eaten.  The leaves are wonderfully fragrant, and gloriously purple - and as always, I delight in picking purple vegetables of any kind - purple "Rubi" Pak Choi, purple sprouting broccoli and now the vibrant leaves of the purple "Red Knight" Mizuna.

Growing Mizuna over winter

Mizuna is a vegetable that has overwintered really well.  The variety shown here is Mizuna (Red Knight), and the seeds are from Unwins.

Blog Giveaway - Winner Announced!

The winner of our first ever giveaway, sponsored by Competitions.com.au is:

Victoria Klager

who wins a

$35 Amazon gift card 

Thank you to Competitions.com.au - Australia's new home for competitions, for kindly sponsoring this Fusian Living giveaway.

To find out more about future Fusian Living giveaways, you can also like us on our facebook page.

March Giveaway: Amazon $35 Gift Card

We are hosting our first ever giveaway, sponsored by Competitions.com.au

The winner will receive the following prize:

$35 Amazon gift card 

(£25 if in the UK, AUD35 if in Australia)

This giveaway is open to residents of Australia, United Kingdom and United States only.