Ingredient Spotlight: Bean Sprouts

See these white bean sprouts? Think I got them this way? Nuh-uh. I just spent the better part of an hour tailing them so they look nice and healthy. Because no one likes biting into a mouthful of ho fan, crunching on that sprout, and then suddenly encountering a rotten beany taste at the end of that mouthful. Yucch!

There are days when I’d just as soon make an ice sculpture than tail these babies. But if you’ve been trained by a fastidious Asian cook (like my mom), you will (or should) tail your bean sprouts all the time. There are days, however, when I just can’t be bothered with this task. On those days I just omit them from the recipe.

One tip I do have for you: never ever buy canned bean sprouts. One store clerk told me once when I asked if there were any fresh bean sprouts (there weren’t) to just use the canned stuff. “It tastes exactly the same.” Uhm, on what planet, honey?

If you’re lucky enough to get really fresh bean sprouts at your local market, there is a way to keep them fresh! Just submerge them in water in a large container, and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. They’ll stay white and crunchy for a few days.