Old Cucumber (Lao Huang Gua)
見た目はヘチマ、実はきゅうり！広東スープの「隠し味」
Description
Regular green cucumbers left in the field until they mature/ripen into yellow-brown skins. The skin is netted and tough; the size is giant. Not suited for raw eating, but prized in Southern China (esp. Guangdong) as a 'supreme soup ingredient'. Simmering melts a unique refreshing tartness and sweetness into the broth, making it a 'heat-clearing' king for summer.
Classification: Everyone, Ingredient, Vegetable, Old Cucumber, Huang Gua, Guangdong Cuisine, For Soup, Clearing Heat, Medicinal, Summer Vegetable
Shops selling Old Cucumber (Lao Huang Gua)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Mature Cucumber(Huang Gua)
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Lao Huang Gua Zhu Gu Tang]: Peel, de-seed, and chunk old cucumbers; simmer for hours with pork ribs, Chen Pi, and red beans. A refreshing, nourishing soup essential for Guangdong summers.
- Stir-fry.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Similar to winter melon but more aromatic、with a faint natural tartness refreshing the aftertaste
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Can be perfectly substituted with Okinawan 'Moui' or over-ripened yellow cucumbers
Pairing
Pork Spareribs / Red Beans / Dried Tangerine Peel / Ginger
Trivia
Almost the same as Okinawan 'Moui'. Growing 10x larger than regular cucumbers, it evolves into a luxurious 'edible hydration' by absorbing meat broth.
Eating tips & etiquette
Looks brown and shriveled, but the flesh inside is thick and juicy. Cantonese deeply trust its effects to 'strengthen the spleen and expel dampness'.
Allergen
None