Zucchini Pancakes
and reflecting on eating flowers
Welcome to Chill Crisp, my internet corner of thoughts about food and recipes with context. Mostly Chinese food I’ve been eating my whole life and new flavors inspired by travel, research and a splash of creativity.
(Scroll down for the recipe and watch the video here!)
It was a calling when I saw these zucchinis basking in the August sunshine, almost like a classic still-life painting. There were a handful of zucchini flowers lying around, a rare find in my neighborhood. I had been eyeing them since my trip to Naples, although they never made it onto our plates amidst the pizzas.
Just a few days prior, I stumbled upon zucchini pancake videos featuring flowers on Instagram (from
and @girlfromcalifornia). So, zucchini pancakes it is! The preparation of zucchini with flour and egg batter takes on various forms, such as fritters, Turkish Mucver, or Korean Pajeon.
In the northern Chinese regions, it has a humble name called 糊塌子 (hu ta zi, translates to “batter pancake”), which is enjoyed as comfort food in many households. In a memoir about Beijing food called “京味儿食足”, Cui Daiyuan wrote that this pancake was originally made with bottle gourd. Over time, it evolved into the zucchini version as we know it today. Some even added shiso leaves and flowers from a Japanese pagoda tree (huai hua, 槐花), another beloved edible flower. These pancakes are served with a dip made from grated garlic and vinegar, contrasting the delicate and mildly sweet flesh of zucchini.
Flower eating has been a part of Chinese cuisine for centuries. In fact, I've been consuming flowers in different forms my whole life. My grandparents used to grow jasmine plants in their garden and would dehydrate the blossoms. These petals would then be cooked or brewed into tea (jasmine green tea is still one of my favorite teas). Dried tiger lilies (huang hua cai, 黄花菜) are standard ingredients in soups and cold dishes. Some of the best Chinese desserts are made with flowers. Think flower pastries with rose jam (check this amazing video about cooking with roses) and glutinous rice balls filled with osmanthus flowers.
Flowers from pumpkins and other squash varieties, for example, are also delicacies in China during spring and summer. They can be stir-fried, deep-fried, similar to the Italian Fiori Di Zucca Fritti, or stuffed with meat and steamed in Hakka regions. My friend Zhiheng sent a photo she took from a market in her hometown, Guizhou.
This recipe, of course, works without flowers as an easy fridge-cleaning quick meal. But while you're at it, do savor the fleeting chance to embrace the magic of eating flowers.
The Recipe
Ingredients
3 zucchinis (500g)
2 eggs
1 scallion
60g flour
1 tbsp starch (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
zucchini flowers (optional)
vegetable oil for frying
⠀Traditional Beijing Style Dip
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp Sesame oil
chili oil (optional)
Instructions
Shred the zucchini into thin strips using grater or vegetable slicer. Add half of the salt and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Chop scallions into fine rings.
Squeeze out the moisture from the zucchini with a sieve or a clean cloth. Add to a large bowl with eggs, flour, chopped scallions, remaining salt, and five-spice powder. Mix until a smooth batter forms. Clean the flowers and remove the pistil.
In a non-stick pan over medium heat, add vegetable oil, then ladle the batter. Use your chopstick or spoon to spread it out flat. Fry until one side is set. Flip and fry both sides until light golden.
Grate or pound garlic until fine, then mix with dark rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and optionally chili oil.
Notes
For a crispier pancake, swap out a portion of the flour with 1 tablespoon of starch. For a tender pancake, let those zucchinis retain their moisture – skip the squeezing step.
When to add the flowers? I found it best when one side is set and flip, then dap the flowers with some batter and stick to the set side and fry only briefly so the flowers are not burnt)
