Smash hit

David Lam is a Hong Kong originated farmer who grows Chinese vegetables including pak choi, choi sum and kai lan, on a farm near Wisbech in East Anglia. He now supplies to Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Marks and Spencer, among other supermarkets, and is continuing to trial new vegetables.

Ching has visited Lam’s farm and credits him with producing vegetables that she’s not seen growing outside her native Taiwan.

Lam is not the only farmer growing Asian vegetables in the UK: “ I know of a Chinese tofu supplier called Kamtong and a beansprout grower called J Pao in Park Royal. They all supply the Chinese supermarkets and restaurateurs… I would think the seedlings, from soya beans to mushroom spores and vegetable seeds, are still brought over from abroad though,” says Ching.

Another UK grower is Kentdown Mushrooms, a farm that has been operating in the south east of England for over 30 years and grows Asian and European mushrooms, from white button to shimenji. The farm supplies mushrooms to Yau’s restaurant Hakkasan, which also uses a number of UK producers, including Fairfax Meadows for rib-eye steak, Billfields for duck, M&J Seafood for native fish such as oysters and Harwoods of London supply for a variety of fruit and vegetables.

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Celebrate the Chinese new year with Square Meal's best restaurants in the UK; plus recipes from Times cooks and writers

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Multimedia

• Check out pictures of modern Chinese food by Ching-He Huang

With the exception of some ingredients, many Chinese and European dishes use the same produce says Dunlop. “In my own kitchen I’ll look at a heap of vegetables and I can either cook a European or a Chinese dish,” she says. So, whether you’re eating out or cooking, you can shop local and eat oriental.

Need to know

For more information on Ching visit her website

China Modern by Ching-He Huang is published by Kyle Cathie Ltd (£14.99, www.kylecathie.com)

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop is published by Ebury Press (£25, www.eburypublishing.co.uk)

Chinese restaurant recommendations

Bar Shu

Expect wild dishes from this Sichuanese specialist alongside some more recognisable ones, such as man-and-wife offal slices, pock-marked old woman’s beancurd, and tongue-numbing beef, which thankfully come with pictures on the menu to elaborate. There are plenty of Chinese diners, which is always a good sign, and if you're feeling really adventurous you can team your meal with Chinese wine. Someone’s also has a lot of fun with the interior too with its bright murals, elaborate wood carving and fun bar – it puts your local Chinese in the shade. Around £100 for two with drinks and service.

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