With spring just around the corner, Suichang county – administered by Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – becomes the perfect place for foodies to taste seasonal vegetables. That's because there are a large variety of spring vegetables there for them to choose from.

Bamboo shoots

These bamboo shoots are being stewed with ribs. [Photo/WeChat account: suichangly]

With plenty of moisture, the bamboo shoots growing in spring are usually juicy and taste good no matter how they are cooked. Suichang is home to some 23,000 hectares of bamboo forests which make it a huge production area for bamboo shoots.

Fiddlehead ferns

These fiddlehead ferns are mixed with sauce. [Photo/WeChat account: suichangly]

If you take a walk in the Suichang mountains, you may encounter a precious wild food called fiddlehead ferns. These delicate, curled fronds often appear on the tables of locals in spring, stir-fried with cured meat or just mixed with sauce.

Jicai

Scrumptious dumplings with pork and shepherd's purse fillings. [Photo/WeChat account: suichangly]

Jicai, or shepherd's purse, is a kind of edible wild herb that becomes ripe in the spring. The leafy green plant is rich in nutrients, with high protein content for a vegetable. It also has similar carotene content to carrots and more vitamin C than tomatoes. Suichang folks usually mix it with minced pork and make dumplings with them.

Xiangchun

A basketful of freshly picked toon leaves. [Photo/WeChat account: suichangly]

Xiangchun, or Chinese toon leaves, are considered to be the only tree vegetable in China. Red toon shoots herald the arrival of spring and mark the beginning of the growing season. Suichang locals start tucking into toons in the early days of spring, often putting them in an omelet or simply tossing them in a salad with tender tofu.