If you’ve ever wondered what “moo shu” means, its meaning is not the same as the puny dragon’s name in Mulan.
“Moo shu” is the Westernized transliteration of mu xi, the Chinese name for sweet osmanthus, a plant whose delighful edible white and yellow flowers I discovered in a restaurant in Hong Kong. There are no osmanthus flowers in moo shu pork, moo shu chicken and moo shu shrimp, but the yellow chunks of egg are said to resemble clusters of osmanthus. Poetic, huh?
If “moo shu” refers to osmanthus flowers, what does the name of the dragon Mushu in Mulan refer to? It may be just a re-spelling of a term that has become familiar with non-Asians because of the popularity of moo shu dishes. But if you check urban dictionaries online, you’ll find that “mushu” is not food-related at all. But I’ll leave the searching to you.
So, this newsletter is an introduction to three moo shu dishes in the blog. Yes, three. A short newsletter, this one is. But there’s no shortage in flavor here.
Moo shu pork – A stir fried dish with pork, black fungus, cucumber and eggs, moo shu pork comes from northern China. Typically served with rice, the pork in moo shu can be substituted with chicken, beef or shrimps.
Moo shu shrimp – If you love shrimps, or prefer seafood to meat, try this variant of the classic moo shu pork. With a much shorter cooking time, this is a quick and tasty dish to prepare on busy weeknights.
Moo shu chicken – Marinated strips of chicken fillet are stir fried with garlic, scallions, sliced cucumber, rehydrated wood ears and scrambled eggs. A thickened sauce completes the dish.
