街市THE WET MARKET
Northern spring onion
京蔥
通陽散寒
The thick northern onion, as wide as a wrist, with a long heavy white section. It is milder than an ordinary spring onion and turns sweet when it is cooked a long time. It is what lines the pot under 東坡肉 and what goes into 京蔥爆羊肉. It is not the same plant as 蔥, which is slim, mostly green, and used raw as a garnish — 京蔥 is for cooking.
TCM properties
Nature · warming Flavour · pungent Meridians · lung、stomach
Preparation
Cut into lengths, or split lengthwise to line the base of a pot.
Origin
Shandong and north China. True 京蔥 is rarely seen in Australia. The nearest thing is the white part of a leek — thick, mild, and sweet after long cooking — and it lines a pot just as well.
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists