garlic scapes
蒜苔· suantai
Taste & Role
In Chinese home cooking, garlic scapes are treated as a stir-fry vegetable rather than a seasoning. Cut into short segments, they are quickly stir-fried with sliced pork, eggs, tofu, or dried chilies, adding crunch and a mellow garlic aroma. They are especially popular in northern Chinese kitchens, where dishes like stir-fried pork with garlic scapes are weeknight staples.
What it is
Garlic scapes are the long, slender flower stalks that shoot up from hardneck garlic plants in late spring, harvested before the buds open. The Chinese variety known as suantai is typically straighter and thicker than the curly scapes common at US farmers markets, with a firm, juicy texture. They offer a gentler garlic flavor than cloves, making them enjoyable as a vegetable in their own right.
Nutrition
per 100 g- Calories
- 30 kcal
- Protein
- 3.27 g
- Total fat
- 0.73 g
- Carbs
- 4.35 g
- Fiber
- 2.5 g
- Sodium
- 3 mg
USDA FoodData Central (closest standard match)
Substitutes
No registered substitutes — this one is usually easy to find.
Recipes using it
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