Water Chestnut (Bi Qi)
肉団子の秘密の食感！梨のように甘い「水の中のカブ」
Description
The tuber of an aquatic sedge. A relative of the JP 'Kuwai' used in New Year dishes, but Chinese 'Bi Qi' lacks bitterness, being sweet and crunchy like a pear. A famous supporting actor adding 'the ultimate textural accent' to dishes, absolutely essential for meatballs and dumplings.
Classification: Everyone, Ingredient, Vegetable, Bi Qi, Water Chestnut, Water Chestnut, Crunchy, Dumpling Secret
Shops selling Water Chestnut (Bi Qi)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Water Chestnut(Fresh or Canned)
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Shizitou (Giant Meatballs)]: Mix minced Bi Qi into the meat. The goal is the 'crunch' bursting from within the fluffy meat.
- [Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings)]: Mince and add to highlight the shrimp bounce.
- Peel and eat raw as fruit.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Fresh、clean sweetness like pear or apple、and overwhelming 'crunch' that survives cooking
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Hard to substitute. Push comes to shove, minced raw lotus root)
Pairing
Minced Pork / Shrimp / Oyster Sauce
Trivia
Resets the heaviness of meat dishes with its crunch and sweetness. Adding this to homemade Shaomai or dumplings instantly elevates them to 'pro restaurant quality'.
Eating tips & etiquette
In Southern China, it's eaten raw like apples as a 'moisturizing' snack during dry winters. Believed to be good for the throat.
Allergen
None