September 08, 2004

LinJiao (A Tasty Nut)

Last week, my coworker introduced me to linjiao, which she described as a "fruit." To me, they look and taste more like a nut, and have become my pre-dinner snack of choice.
Linjiao.jpg
I think they look like water buffalo horns, and have taken to calling them "water buffalo nuts." Maybe that is a bad name for them.

Here in Jiujiang, you can buy a jin of these hard-shelled babies for about 5 kuai at the market. Boil all the linjiao for about 30 minutes, softening their insides. The shells will turn black.
Lin Jiao 2.jpg

Then you break the linjiao open with your teeth (bite down). The inside is lima-bean soft and powdery, but with a more pleasant flavor. If you are lucky, you can pull the shell clear away, exposing the unbroken meat. If you're impatient like me, you will repeatedly jab your chopstick into the shell to dislodge the nut, splintering its contents all over the counter in the process.

Lin Jiao 3.jpg

But the hard work does pay off -- these nuts are mild and satisfying.

I don't recall ever seeing these in NYC. Anyone?

Posted by Astrid at September 8, 2004 12:36 AM