If you are keen on Asian produce at the farmers’ markets, you’re likely buying from Hmong farmers. They are amazing cultivators of the land and have transported their agricultural skills from Southeast Asia to America. In California, our Hmong farmers raise crops inland where it’s super hot and more suitable for Asian crops such as eggplant, long beans, and chiles.
I learn a lot from talking to the Hmong farmers who come to our Saturday morning farmers’ market at Cabrillo College. They are a young couple named Tra Her and Kou Moua who together make KT Farms. Tra is a school teacher who on the weekends works multiple markets with her husband Kou. Other family members show up at the Friday afternoon market in nearby Watsonville.
I’ve been buying from KT Farms since they first came to our market about 6 years ago. I want to support their business and selfishly insure a supply of super fresh Asian produce.
Hmong farmers grow all kinds of Asian vegetables and herbs. You may not know what to do with some of the stuff so ask questions!
Richard Molinar and Michael Yang at the UC Coop Extension office in Fresno put together a nice online guide to Asian vegetables. It’s super helpful to farmers and customers alike.
Last weekend at the market, I spied a big pill-shaped melon (it looked like a gigantic oblong lemon cucumber) that Tra had cut open to show customers. She is a school teacher and knows how important show-and-tell is.
John Xiong, a Fresno Hmong farmer whom I wrote about for a 2007 Saveur magazine story, once gave me a refreshing drink made from a fruit that he called a cucumber. I’d forgotten what it looked like so I asked Tra if what she had was a Hmong cucumber for making the drink.
“Yes, this is it. Just scrape it with a fork and mix with sugar,” she said, making the scraping motion with her hand.
I went home and attacked the melon with a fork and came up with a beverage that I dubbed Hmong and cucumber mint cooler. The mint is my twist to give the chunky beverage an herbal note. Rory, my husband, was doubtful at first, but once he sipped it, he was sold on its delicate flavor and cooling qualities. "It's like a great spa treatment," he said.
Here’s a recipe for how to make your own:
Hmong Cucumber and Mint Cooler
Hmong cucumber is halfway between a cucumber and a melon. It doesn’t taste like much on its own until you add sugar. Then it is transformed. Without a Hmong cucumber, use honeydew melon.
Yield depends on the size of your cucumber!
One whole or a half Hmong cucumber
Sugar
5 to 8 large mint leaves
Ice
Filtered Water
1. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, in needed. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
2. Use the tines of a fork to scrape out the flesh, depositing them in a bowl. Try to get down to the cucumber skin. Discard when there is little flesh left. The flesh will be in pale green pieces. (If you want a smoothie-like texture, puree the flesh in a blender before moving on.)
3. Measure how much flesh you have. For every cup, stir in 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 or 4 mint leaves. Your stirring will dissolve the sugar and bruise the mint. Don’t be alarmed as the cucumber flesh gives off some bubbles. Taste to make sure there is a pronounced sweet flavor.
4. For each 1 cup of flesh, add ½ cup water, stirring to combine. Serve over ice, stirring a few times to chill the mixture. (Alternatively, chill the mixture and then serve it over ice.) Present this cooler with a spoon for guests to eat the flesh.
Have you had this drink or ones similar to it? If you're familiar with Hmong cucumber, what do you do with it?
Other Hmong related posts:
Diane says
I too love the Hmong farmers at our markets in the Bay Area. They are always a reliable source for great Asian vegies. I have not seen this cucumber before, but will look for it.
Thuy says
I just had some this week. My parents' garden yield some this year. It was so wierd tasting but my parents did tell me that I had to add sugar. They called it "dua gang" and to my surprise you wrote a blog on it.
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says
How lucky you are to have this exotic cucumber at your farmer's market. I like the technique of raking out the flesh with a fork. I will have to try this with a honeydew.
Annette says
We grow this type of melon "dua gang" every summer in our vegetable garden. I like to eat it with sugar and condense milk or just sugar alone when it's ripe. Ripe "dua gang" tastes starchy and it has a wonderful soft aroma. We also enjoy raw melon just like cucumber. Sometimes, we make melon pickle with Fermented Anchovy. You can also make chè (sweet dessert) dua gang with coconut milk and pearl tapioca (sweet dessert). For chè recipes, just google "chè dua gang", you'll see quiet a few recipes.
I haven't had melon drink but will definitely try it out. It looks refreshing and healthy. Thanks for the recipe cô Andrea.
OysterCulture says
What an incredibly refreshing sounding drink. I'll have to hunt down this version of cucumber.
THT says
Is this the same as dua gang? I'm surprised an expert like you wouldn't have known it's also a VN melon.
Andrea Nguyen says
@Annette: Thanks for the info on dua gang! I'm not sure if dua gang (see below) is the same as what the Hmongs grow. That said, Vietnamese dua gang and Hmong cucumber are interchangeable.
@THT: I don't purport to know everything. Do you?
Would you have the botanical name for dua gang? What I've seen has ridges and resembles a melon commonly called a "Korean melon". The one the Hmongs grow lack ridges.
Some people have identified "Vietnamese melon" as dua gang and botanically as Cucumis melo. There are many kinds of melons in the world. I'd like to give the Hmongs their due.
Here's are photos of dua gang and Korean melon:
http://www.uga.edu/ebl/Vietnamese/PlantIndex/duagangtay.html
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/index.php?item=294
Rosanna says
How funny you should post about the Hmong farmers! I buy from them every week at my outdoor market in Long Beach. They have the best produce and great prices as well. I can never buy a cucumber from the grocery store after eating one of theirs, among all the other things I get from them....
Rosanna says
P.S. I found out the name of the farm located in Fresno I buy from today: Beyond Bok Choy. Cute, huh?
Kaoyee says
This is my faaaavvvorrritteee drink in the summer!! My mom makes vats of this stuff and freezes it so we can have it year round!
kulyia says
this can also be served during lunch or dinner and you can spoon it up lol my family does that. reallly refreshing. thank you for posting this
mortage new york says
I tasted this..It is really good taste...
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kathy says
instead of a fork, use a spoon...the older the cucumber, even though it yields a tangy, more sour flavor, the more refreshing it is!!
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I’ve been buying from KT Farms since they first came to our market about 6 years ago. I want to support their business and selfishly insure a supply of super fresh Asian produce.
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They are always a reliable source for great Asian vegies.