Ingredient
Bean sprout
Germinated mung beans, grown for crunch rather than flavour. They collapse within a minute of heat, so they go in at the very end of a stir-fry or raw into a bowl of pho where the broth barely wilts them.
- Sourcing
- Asian groceries and supermarket chillers. They are among the most perishable things sold and are best bought the day they are used.
- Varieties
- Mung, Soybean, Alfalfa
- Quality cues
- White, plump and crisp with pale yellow tips. Browning heads and a sour smell mean they have turned, which happens fast.
- Substitutions
- Shredded cabbage, for crunch, Soybean sprouts, sturdier, Julienned water chestnut
- Storage
- Refrigerate submerged in cold water, changed daily, or use immediately.
- Shelf life
- 2-3 days refrigerated