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by Allison Robicelli

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August 23, 2016 at 11:00am EDT

What exactly do you do with water spinach? Loofa? Lotus root? Dragonfruit?!? Find out.

• Asian produce

  

  Pin these fruits and veggies so you can remember them later at the grocery.

• Bok choy

  

  Like its cousin napa cabbage, bok choy is a nutritional powerhouse. Try replacing your lettuce with it in your favorite salad recipe, chopping it up and adding it to grain salads for a flavorful nutritional boost or one of these bok choy recipes.

• Flowering garlic chives

  

  Like ramps but hate the short season (and exorbitant prices)? Try flowering scallions instead. Crisp in texture, garlicky in flavor, they can be used in place of conventional scallions in a scallion pancake recipe, leeks in a quiche or poached in butter and stirred into mashed potatoes.

• Gai lan

  

  Also known as Chinese broccoli, it can stand in for conventional supermarket broccoli. It’s great in stir-fries, but its thick stems make it ideal for roasting.

• Japanese eggplant

  

  Unlike the Western varieties, these are practically seedless, meaning they’re not bitter. They can also be eaten skin on, which is the most nutritious part of all eggplants. And that makes them easy to grill.

• Long beans

  

  Growing several feet long and packed with folate and vitamin A, long beans are a fun replacement for green beans that can make kids excited about eating their vegetables.

• Loofa

  

  You read that right — loofa! The old, fibrous ones get dried out and made into bath scrubs. The young ones, also known as Chinese okra, have a delicious creamy texture that are ideal for slicing into thin chips, battering and deep-frying in tempura batter.

• Lotus root

  

  Hidden beneath those beautiful aquatic flowers is an equally gorgeous root prized by chefs worldwide. It’s excellent in stir-fries, but having a big container of lotus chips on hand is always a treat.

• Napa cabbage

  

  Napa cabbage is one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables you can buy, packed with antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and folates. Try using it as a replacement for the papaya in a som tum salad.

• Taro root

  

  Bored with potatoes? Try adding taro to your rotation of starches! They’re great mashed, roasted and fried.

• Water spinach

  

  Use the leafy green ends the same way you’d use conventional spinach, and save the stems to snack on raw — they’re tasty, incredibly nutritious and high in fiber so you’ll feel satisfied throughout the day. Try it in this Asian fried fish recipe.

• Asian pear

  

  Pears are to Asian markets what apples are to Western markets. In addition to eating them on their own, you can shred them and try your hand at kalbi, a type of Korean barbecue.

• Buddha hand

  

  Have you ever seen a fruit more interesting-looking than Buddha hand? There’s no juice inside, so only its peel is used. Try it candied, or add its zest to any recipe that could use a bright pop.

• Dragon fruit

  

  Dragon fruit is one of the world’s most visually stunning fruits, with a tender interior similar to kiwi. Try a dragon fruit shake.

• Durian

  

  The world’s most controversial fruit, durian is called “the king of all fruits” in Southeast Asia, yet when cracked open, it emits one of the worst odors known to man. If you’re brave enough to overcome it, you’ll be rewarded, as fortunately it doesn’t taste like it smells. Try durian in cheesecake.

• Kumquat

  

  The kumquat is a tiny citrus fruit that can be eaten peel, seeds and all. Use it for a unique marmalade, or add it to savory dishes for a sweet and tart surprise.

• Longan

  

  Once you peel away the thin skin, you’ll see why the Chinese call it “the dragon’s eye.” Use it to jazz up a run-of-the-mill fruit salad, or stir it into unsweetened iced tea.

• Lychee

  

  You’ll often find these canned in syrup, but if you have the chance to pick them up fresh, grab them. Try dropping a few into sparkling water or using lychee for cocktails. 

• Mangosteen

  

  An antioxidant-rich superfood, the flesh of the mangosteen is intensely sweet, making it a great addition to overnight oats or smoothies.

• Pomelo

  

  The opposite of a kumquat, pomelos are huge! But don’t be scared — beneath the peel is fruit reminiscent of grapefruit, but milder. Lovely in a couscous.

• Rambutan

  

  Their appearance makes them irresistible, and rambutan have got a flavor to match.

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