Bean sprouts  = mung bean sprouts = Douya (Mandarin) = Dau nga choi (Cantonese)

Sprouts spring from newly germinated peas and beans.  They won't add much in the way of nutrients--or calories--to your diet, but they're tasty and inexpensive. Several types of bean can be sprouted, but the ones most often used in Asian cooking are the small "green" sprouts from mung beans and the larger "yellow" or soya bean sprouts. The fresh sprouts are widely available in supermarkets and markets, or you can sprout the beans at home. Avoid canned bean sprouts, which are limp and tasteless.

Soya bean sprouts have a stronger flavor than mung bean sprouts, but both are relatively delicate, with a pleasant crunchy texture.

Stir-frying, with or without meat, is the most popular way of cooking bean sprouts. Mung bean sprouts can be eaten raw in salads, while soya bean sprouts are often used in soups.

Dried Lily Buds = Huang Hua ; Jinzhen ( Mandarin) = Gum jum (Cantonese)

Also known in Chinese as "yellow flower" or golden needles", these dried buds of the tiger lily are popular throughout China and South-east Asia.

Tiger lily has a unique fragrance, which intensities when the buds are dried. They have a mild sweet taste and a pleasant crunchy texture.

In Chinese cooking, dried lily buds are often combined with dried fungus to create an interesting contrast in color, flavor and texture. The buds are also a popular ingredient in Buddhist vegetarian cooking.