Snow pea leaves are a delicacy offered at Dim Sum Mania in Media, writes Craig LaBan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The leaves are among the most prized Asian greens, he writes. Dim Sum Mania quickly blanches them, then fries them in a hot wok before serving them up.
The snow pea leaves, comprised of delicate stems and silken leaves, are luminous and offer a tender yet sturdy snap.
The taste is a vegetal, nutty sweetness.
The restaurant seasons them with a pinch of salt, sugar, and garlic, tumbled in the blazing heat of chef Tom Guo’s wok.
“We always choose greens to go with a Chinese meal because they add balance, healthy freshness, and contrast to all the other flavors,” said Guo, who owns branches of Dim Sum Mania in Media and Berwyn.
He refers to the snow pea leaves as the “queen of greens.”
Snow pea leaves, the most expensive of the Asian greens, cost $15 a plate at Dim Sum, and Guo admits he sometimes still loses money.
“But people like them so much, you need to cook them,”
Find out more about this unique Asian delicacy offered at Dim Sum Mania in Media Borough in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
