Indigenous Asian Specialty Vegetables in the Central Valley of California

Abstract

Sinqua and moqua, better known as Luffa actuangula and Benincasa hispida var. chiehgua, are but a few of the 70 or so Asian vegetables being grown in Fresno, CA. These little-known vegetables are very common to the 1300 Hmong, Mien, Lao, and Chinese farmers growing them for the specialty and wholesale markets in Fresno. This article discusses 24 Asian vegetables commonly grown on farms and sold to more than a dozen specialty crop packing houses in Fresno and at farmers markets in California. Cultural information, pest problems, and culinary uses are also briefly discussed.