sprouts

The crisp, tender sprouts of various germinated beans and seeds. Mung bean sprouts, used often in Chinese cooking, are the most popular. However, other seeds and beans-such as alfalfa and radish seeds, lentils, soybeans and wheat berries-may also be sprouted. For optimum crispness, sprouts are best eaten raw. They may also be stir-fried or sautéed, but should only be cooked for 30 seconds or less; longer cooking will wilt the sprouts. Though you may grow your own fresh sprouts (refer to a general cookbook), they're available in most large supermarkets. Choose crisp-looking sprouts with the buds attached; avoid musty-smelling, dark or slimy-looking sprouts. Mung-bean sprouts should be refrigerated in a plastic bag for no more than 3 days. More delicate sprouts-like alfalfa sprouts-should be refrigerated in the ventilated plastic container in which they're usually sold and kept for no more than 2 days. Canned mung-bean sprouts-available in most supermarkets-do not have either the texture or flavor of fresh.