Mystery Ingredient

What is it?

The fruit of a shade tree in the buckthorn family. Although also known as red date, Chinese date or honey date, jujubes are not, in fact, true dates. They have been cultivated for thousands of years in China and are reputed to cleanse the blood and strengthen the body.

Looks like:

Jujube fruits vary from small and round to long and thin. They can be as small as a cherry or larger, like a plum. The thin skin starts green and ripens to red, while the flesh is creamy and white and contains a single hard seed.

Tastes like:

Fresh and raw, they're crisp, sweet and slightly tart, with a flavour similar to a dessert apple. Dried, they have a honeyed sweetness.

Used in:

In addition to eating jujubes fresh, the Chinese also dry, pickle and smoke them. In Europe, dried jujubes became hugely popular as a confection, and the term came to refer to candy or sweets in general. That might explain why the name jujube was given to a type of chewy candy popular in North America.

Found at:

Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.

What is it?

A lemon that has been soaking in its own juice, salt and sometimes sugar. Preserved lemons are a staple condiment of Moroccan and other African and Indian cuisines. Historically, pickling was an affordable and practical way to preserve citrus fruit long after its growing season. You can buy pickled lemons at ethnic markets or make your own in a large glass jar. Meyer lemons, which are milder than regular ones, work best. It usually takes about 30 days for the lemons to pickle and preserve.

Looks like:

Whole, store-bought preserved lemons look much like pickled eggs.

Tastes like:

The preserving process takes the bitter out of the lemon, but they do taste tart, salty and intensely lemony. Other spices, such as cloves, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick and bay leaf can be added during preparation.

Used in:

Pickled, salted lemons are used as seasoning in tagines -- special stews cooked in an earthenware pot with a conical lid -- soups and salads. They can be sliced, chopped or minced, depending on the texture of the dish.

Found at:

Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.

Sweet potato noodles

What is it?

A long, chewy Korean noodle made from the starch of the sweet potato. It's not to be confused with the transparent cellophane noodle (also known as Chinese vermicelli), which is typically made with mung bean starch. They're a high-carbohydrate food, slightly lower in calories than wheat-based noodles.

Looks like:

Uncooked, the noodles are light tan or grey in colour and brittle and easy to break into shorter lengths. They turn translucent when cooked and have a chewy texture, kind of like a rubber band.

Tastes like:

Sweet potato noodles are pretty bland on their own but will absorb the flavours of other ingredients.

Used in:

In Asia, the noodles are most commonly used in soups and stir-fries. A Korean dish called Japchae is made from sweet potato noodes (also called dangmyeon) stir-fried in sesame oil with assorted vegetables -- such as thinly sliced carrots, onions, spinach and mushrooms -- and meat, soy sauce and a bit of sugar. It may be served hot or cold.

Because they're gluten-free, they can be substituted for wheat noodles

Found at:

Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.

Rice paper

What is it?

A thin, edible paper made from rice flour and water and used extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Looks like:

Rice paper wrappers are very thin and delicate, with a texture similar to sheets of filo pastry. They're usually sold in circular sheets wrapped in plastic.

Tastes like:

Because it has almost no flavour on its own, rice paper is like a culinary blank slate. It doesn't compete with any seasoning or flavours the filling may contain.

Used in:

Rice paper is most commonly used as a wrapping for spring rolls, cigar-shaped tubes stuffed with savoury meats, poultry, seafoods and vegetables. They can be deep fried, baked or eaten fresh. Soaking rice paper sheets in warm water for 30 seconds, and then placing on a damp tea towel, will make them more pliable. Edible rice paper can be also used to make various types of cakes and rolls, which can either be stuffed with spicy and sweet fillings and baked, steamed, or fried.

Found at:

Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.

Roasted watermelon seeds

What is it?

The crunchy little black bits inside the famously refreshing snack that you were warned as a kid not to swallow lest they sprout and grow a watermelon in your tummy. In Asia and Middle Eastern countries, roasted watermelon seeds are a popular snack unto themselves and said to be full of essential nutrients.

Looks like:

Roasted watermelon seeds are often dyed red and sold in decorative containers for Chinese New Year.

Tastes like:

Due to their hard coating, watermelon seeds must be chewed well or otherwise processed or else they will pass undigested through your system. These ones, which were unseasoned (and contained red dye No. 40), did not have much flavour and seemed to be mostly decorative.

Used in:

Besides being roasted, salted and eaten as is, the seeds are also used to make soup or to garnish salads. They are also said to have medicinal properties, which are harnessed in watermelon seed tea and oil, the latter used as a moisturizer for skin. The tea is believed to improve the health of the kidneys. The seeds can also be ground into cereal or used to make bread.

Found at:

Lucky Supermarket, 1051 Winnipeg Ave.