Why do Hong Kong restaurants serve Mung bean sprouts raw, rather than cooking them in the soup?
I'm just asking about the safety of why restaurants serve the raw Mung bean sprouts and Yunnan ham on a dish, separate from the hot soup. You're supposed to add the sprouts and ham to the soup yourself. But why doesn't this restaurant do this for you?
Raw sprouts can cause illness | Farm Life | agupdate.com. Isn't it obvious that it's safer if restaurant chefs add the sprouts before the soup is finished cooking, to kill more of the bacteria in the sprouts?
Raw or undercooked sprouts pose a risk of food-borne infection because, unlike other fresh produce, seeds and beans need warm humid conditions to sprout and grow. Bacteria that can cause illness, including Salmonella, Listeria and Escherichia coli, thrive in such warm and humid conditions.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system should not eat raw or lightly cooked sprouts. The caution includes alfalfa, clover, radish and mung-bean sprouts.
Best Answer
Beansprouts take about 30 seconds to cook. Add them to the soup before serving & they could be soggy by the time they reach the table.
Adding them for yourself means
- They'll be still crisp &
- It looks more 'elegant/refined'
They look like they've been washed & trimmed already, if not even slightly blanched.
Also note that a Hong Kong restaurant would not be subject to US rules (although the OP quote is simply 'advice' not 'law'.).
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Can you eat Chinese mung bean sprouts raw?
Tip. It is perfectly fine to eat bean sprouts raw, but they carry a higher than average risk of food-borne illness. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems should avoid eating raw or lightly cooked bean sprouts.Should mung bean sprouts be cooked?
Before consuming soybean sprouts and mung bean sprouts, cook them thoroughly. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, bean sprouts may become contaminated by the growth of bacteria. Though bean sprouts can be consumed raw, opt for cooked recipes like crispy bean sprouts to lower the risk of food poisoning.What kind of bean sprouts do Chinese restaurants use?
Mung bean sprouts and soy bean sprouts are the two main types of bean sprouts used in Chinese cooking, and they are distinctly different: Mung bean sprouts are tender, crunchy, and have a small soft bean, in addition to a smaller stem.Should sprouts be cooked or eaten raw?
Sprouts are generally consumed raw, but may also be lightly cooked before you eat them. Summary Sprouts are seeds that have been allowed to germinate into young plants. They are usually eaten raw and are available in a wide range of varieties.How to Make Mung Bean Soup
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