It is a hardy, attractive tree, tall and pyramidal in youthful habit, becoming round of crown at maturity. The dioecious gingko is becoming popular in urban landscaping. The leaves, of unique bilobed fan shape, turn a clean golden yellow in the fall. It flowers very early in the spring, some trees bearing female flowers and the others male ones, never both on the same tree. An orange-yellow fruit resembling a wild plum in size and shape develops, which falls to the ground on ripening late in the season. The fleshy outer coat splits open, releasing the foul odour of butyric acid which it contains. Inside, there is the single nut in a silvery shell. Inside the shell is a nut kernel that is highly prized in the orient, hoarded for eating at the most important social gatherings.
Store Gingko nuts in their shell. Gingkoes need to be blanched after shelling. Place the shelled nuts in a mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then drain. Rub off the shell skins and dry the nuts before use or storing. The naked nut should be stored refrigerated.
Ginkgo Winter Melon Soup
This is definitely not Chinese fast food, but would be a tantalizing start to any Chinese meal.
¼ cup dried Chinese mushrooms 1 winter melon of 4 to 5 lbs 2 cups diced boned raw chicken 2 cups diced lean pork ½ cup diced lean ham ½ cup prepared ginkgoes 1/ 4 cup button mushroom caps 2 qts chicken broth
While the dried mushrooms soak in warm water for 30 minutes, scrub the melon thoroughly, and cut a "cap" off about 3 inches down from the stem end. Put the cap aside to be used as a lid later, and scrape out the melon's seeds and pulp, and discard. Use strong string to make a melon sling, by which it can be lowered into a deep pot later. Place the chicken, pork, ham, nuts and mushroom caps in the melon. Drain the soaking Chinese mushrooms, slice them into the melon, and add the soak water. Fill the melon to ¾ with the chicken broth, well-seasoned, and cover with the melon cap. Choose a small pan with sides 2 inches high, placing it in the bottom of a large deep pot as a pedestal for the melon. Lower the melon in the sling into the pot, setting it in the small pan which should hold the melon securely upright. Add water to the pot to just below the 2 inch mark; make sure you keep the melon out of water. Steam the melon over low to moderate heat for 3 to 4 hours. Add more water to the pot as needed. Add more heated chicken broth to the melon so as to keep it ¾ full. When done, lift the melon from the pot by the string sling, and set it in a shallow bowl that will hold it firmly upright. Remove the melon lid. Cut horizontal rings of melon, one for each serving bowl. Ladle the soup into the bowls over the melon. As long as you ladle only enough soup to reach just lower than the rim of each melon ring, the portions will be just right, and everyone gets a share. Makes about 8 servings, depending on how you slice it.
Buddha's Bliss
China's Buddhists are vegetarian, and this is typical of the Chinese vegetarian dishes.
20 prepared ginkgo nuts 16 dried tiger-lily buds 4 dried Chinese mushrooms 4 dried lotus roots 1 Tbs dried hair seaweed ¼ cup dried tree ears, soaked ¼ cup taro 14 snow peas 6 water chestnuts ¼ cup bamboo shoots 1 tsp soy sauce, or tamari Salt to taste 1 tsp sugar ¼ tsp MSG ½ tsp peanut oil
Place the tiger-lily buds, mushrooms, lotus root, hair seaweed and tree ears in separate bowls and cover each with tepid water. Let stand for 20 minutes, then drain, rinse and drain again. Slice the taro and parboil it for about 5 minutes, then drain. Parboil the peas for 3 minutes, drain, and place in cold water to cover. Slice the water chestnuts, lotus roots and mushrooms all into pieces about the same size. Boil 1 cup of water and add the mushrooms, tree ears, tiger-lily buds, lotus roots and gingko nuts. Boil for 5 minutes, then add the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and sea weed. Blend, adding the soy sauce and salt to taste and the sugar. Cover and cook 5 minutes more. Add the MSG and the snow peas, cooking for 1 more minute. Stir in the peanuts just before serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Provided by SONG. Feel free to copy with a credit.