Large / head mustard green

A large heading mustard green whose thick, curved ribs wrap into a loose heart, sold whole in winter. Its assertive bitter-pungent bite mellows in a rolling boil, flavouring quick soups with fish head, tofu or salted egg — always with thick slices of old ginger to offset its cooling nature.

TCM properties

Nature · cooling　Flavour · pungent、bitter　Meridians · lung、stomach

Traditional food therapy

In Cantonese food therapy large mustard greens are used to clear heat and bring down internal fire — a household down-fire pot for the winter table.

Cautions — read first

• Cooling in nature, so boil it with big slices of old ginger to temper the cold
• Those with a weak, cold spleen and stomach should drink only a little
• The salted fish head (鹹魚頭) version is high in sodium, so watch it if your blood pressure is high

Preparation

Pull the head apart leaf by leaf and wash the grit out, cut into lengths, and add the stems before the leaves.

Origin

廣東、潮汕冬造菜 — Head mustard is an in-store item in Australia; related leaf-mustard bundles at Asian grocers are locally grown

Availability in Australia

Common at Asian grocers

Pairs well with