Chef Kar Delight

Seasonal Salad Around The World

1.1.4 Asia China Taiwan Korea 2025/02/10

In Search Of World's Hidden Tastes
1.1.4 Around Asia, Explore Seasonal Salads

More than 2 thousand years ago, Confucius admonished people: " not to eat food that is not in season". Therefore, one should choose food to eat according to the seasons. Chinese traditional food culture said: "In Spring, eat buds; in Summer, eat melons; in Autumn, eat fruits; in Winter, eat roots". Food is seasonal whereas salad is also seasonal. I shall present my creative seasonal salads in numerous episodes. Each episode has different seasonal salads as the leading stars. Every salad comes from all over the world, across the 7 continents, pairing with my secret recipes of salad dressing. Super delicious! Because weather geography, cultural customs, lifestyle in various parts of the world are unlike, ingredients of salad are very different. Except the first salad is borderless and my creation, the rest of the salads are relying on regions. First we depart for Asia to explore salads of different countries sharing with everyone.

▲ Seasonal Salad 1：

Carambola Salad

Carambola Salad is my creative salad. The combinations are breakthroughs. The main ingredients include carambolas, black plums, Bosc pears, Carabao mangos, carrots and walnuts, paired with Pomegranate Salad Dressing. Fragrant and super delicious!

Carambolas (Star Fruits) are very juicy. Their juice is refreshing and delicious; and can quench thirst and relieve heat. Moreover, they have an unique flavor.

Black plums are sweet and sour. They have heat-clearing properties and promote the secretion of saliva. They have high dietary fiber content and contain various antioxidants. They can delay aging.

Bosc pears are sweet , delicate, crisp, juicy and fragrant. Their meat is delicate; has less fiber and mellow fruity aroma. They have average sweet and sour taste; and long lasting fragrance.

Main Ingredients:

Carambolas, Black plums, Bosc pears, Carabao Mangos, Carrots, Walnuts

Pomegranate Salad Dressing:

Pomegranate molasses, Olive oil, Red onion chopped, Garlic minced, Sumac, Mirin

▲ Seasonal Salad 2：

Laquat Chinese Salad

Laquat tastes luscious, soft and juicy; has sweet and sour flavor.

Yali's meat is crispy, juicy and sweet.

Water chestnuts are sweet and juicy, crisp and delicious.

Preserved duck eggs have fresh, smooth and refreshing taste.

The scents of all the above ingredients are unique.

There are 2 secret recipes of pickled ginger. One uses ginger and beets soaked in apple cider for 3 days. The colour of ginger will turn deep red and has the taste of apple and beets. The other one uses ginger soaked in red wine vinegar for 3 days. The colour of ginger will turn bright red and has the taste of grape.

Laquat Salad paired with Laquat Salad Dressing are very yummy.

Main Ingredients:

Laquat, Yali (Chinese White Pear), Water chestnuts, Beets, Chinese yam (Nagaimo), Lettuce leaves, Lead-free preserved duck eggs

Pickled ginger 1: Ginger, Beets, Apple cider, sugar

Pickled ginger 2: Ginger, Red wine vinegar, sugar

Laquat Salad Dressing:

Laquat minced, Pickled ginger 1&2 vinegar, minced garlic, minced ginger, green onion slices, sugar, salt, sesame oil

▲ Seasonal Salad 3：

Guava Taiwanese Salad

The main ingredients of Guava Salad are 3 seasonal fruits such as guava, pineapple and sweetsop, paired with Taiwan Cooking Wine and Guava Salad Dressing. Very yummy!

Guava is crispy and juicy; high fiber, low calorie and rich in vitamin C.

The fruit of pineapple has a unique flavor and aroma; and high nutritional value.

The flesh of sweetsop is snow-white and has a dense taste; soft and gelatinous; sweet and slightly sour.

Main Ingredients:

Guava, Pineapples, Sweetsop (Sugar apple or custard apple) , Taiwanese cabbage, Purple yam （boiled）

Guava Salad Dressing:

Guava minced, Pineapple juice, Basil, minced ginger, minced garlic, Brown sugar, Taiwan Cooking Wine (TTL Rice Cooking Wine 紅標米酒)

▲ Seasonal Salad 4：

Korean Pear Salad

Korean pears grow in high latitude environment and cold climate. The sweetness of fruits is locked in. A Korean pear features smooth and delicate skin. The peel is light brown. Containing a lot of water and high sugar content makes people want to eat again after eating it.

A Korean melon has thin peel, small seeds and plenty of water. It is not as sweet as other honeydew melons. Its taste is between honeydew melon and cucumber. It is a summer fruit, widely consumed and used to marinade Kimchi （장아찌）.

Hallabong is slightly sour; has a lot of citric acid and malic acid can increase Metabolism of heat, quickly eliminate physical fatigue.

Paired with Kimchi to render sweet, sour and spicy. Very appetizing.

Main Ingredients:

Korean pears, Korean melon, Hallabong (Korean orange, Tangerine ), Carrots, Spinach, Potatoes (boiled), Kimchi

Korean Pear Salad Dressing:

Korean pear minced, Hallabong juice, honey, sugar (or Korean Honey Citron Tea ), Sesame oil