Zhe'ergen

Zhe'ergen is often served as a cold salad after being washed, diced and tossed with sauces derived from vinegar, chilli, coriander and soy sauce.

Zhé'ěrgēn (Chinese: 折耳根) is the edible rhizome of Houttuynia cordata (Yuxingcao, 鱼腥草 ‘fish smelling root’) with a fresh, spicy, peppery flavour that is used in southwestern Chinese cuisine, i.e. that of Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and western Guangxi. Typically the leaves are eaten in Sichuan and the root in Guizhou. Zhé'ěrgēn fried with cured ‘la rou’ (a dried meat resembling ‘Chinese bacon’) is one of the staple dishes of Guizhou.

Culinary use

Notable uses include:

• part of the extensive fried rice cuisine of Guizhou
• a condiment to migan and mixian noodles when served in broth
• as a component of dipping sauces used with the Shiping and Jianshui tradition of barbecued tofu
• raw consumption as part of cold-tossed salads, when it is most frequently combined with coriander, vinegar, fresh chilli, and soy sauce.

The leaves are also a little peppery and are frequently consumed in the region.

See also

• Houttuynia cordata
• Rhizome
• Sichuan cuisine
• Yunnan cuisine