<snip>
>
> Is that the Super88 in Brighton, MA? I never got them in the restaurant
> there, but the ones they have in the market (and all the pea-pod
> shoots/tendrils I've ever seen, raw or cooked in restaurant) don't seem a
> lot like what DC describes, an inch long without even full leaves.
Instead,
> I see stems of considerable length (8 inches or more) with good size
leaves
> and long curly 'tendrils'. It takes a lot of picking through and
> discarding to get something to cook that doesn't come out tough, which is
> why a Chinese friend told me they're so expensive in restaurant -- that
> plate you get may be the residue of a couple of pounds.
>

Your Chinese friend is correct, it's a residue of many pounds but it's also
best plucked very early on in the season, in fact the first buds of young
leaves before it forms into proper leaves are the best, less 'green'
tasting. Hence 'pea shoots' as in young undeveloped leaves. That's what
DaoMiu is. The fully grown leaves are tough, bitter or 'green' tasting &
some varieties of peas have leaves that are not edible. Over here in the UK,
you hardly see pea shoots/DaoMiu in Chinese supermarkets or veg.
stalls/green grocers. I've only seen it once when it was in season/winter &
the shop was selling off the 'ends' of it because it didn't look very fresh
& good. I guess young shoots don't last very long from the time it's plucked
to the time it arrives to the shop or supplier. Like i said, all the good
ones get snapped up by the restaurants ASAP. I'm sure we can find fully
formed pea pods with tendrils & a few leaves as you'ver described but only
in English farmers market type places where you'd often find vegs. still
with leaves or vines attached. But these are fully formed peas & not the
young shoots. I have to stress that not all varieties of peas have edible
shoots & leaves. It says so in the various veg. seed catalogues & veg.
growing books i've come across. Like i said, i've tried growing some myself
& sourcing the correct variety of peas for it's young edible shoots is quite
difficult as most if not all the peas grown in the West are grown for the
peas not it's shoots. Anyway... the small crop i had grown was plucked,
cooked & eaten in a few minutes. It was OK but it wasn't that great esp.
when you look at the bare spot in your garden where the peas once grew. LOL.


> Incidentally, if you're in the Boston area and can get to the farmers'
> markets, there's a great stand run by Hmong from out in Western Mass.
They
> have a number of Asian greens, very nice quality (and washing is more a
> formality than necessity:-), and *cheap* compared to Super88. They have
the
> best pea-pod tendrils I've seen, though nothing like the real fancy stuff
> described by DC. I catch them at the Arlington Center market, Wednesday
> afternoons (1:30 - ?6). I could ask where else they show up.

The pea shoots/DaoMiu i've seen raw & uncooked in markets seem to be
different & varies. In HK & China i've seen really fresh & almost bud like
shoots that are about an inch in size. These were selling like hotcakes &
there weren't many. Some grannies test them by picking one up & eating it
raw to taste the 'sweetness' of it. While others i've seen in hotter Asian
countries like Malaysia & Singapore are larger & looks more well formed, in
fact i didn't recognise them at all until i saw the names next to the veg. I
was told they're not the same variety as the ones in cooler climate
countries like HK & China. These were also tougher & more 'green' tasting.
Ask the Hmong if the pea shoots/pea-pod tendrils they sell are the same ones
as the Chinese restaurants. That's the best way of finding out & if it is,
please ask them what variety it is. I might fancy growing some again as
Autumn is just round the corner. Thanks.

DC.