are produced by allowing seeds to germinate and grow for a short time to form shoots. The Chinese have been sprouting mung and soya beans for 3,000 years, and bean shoots, always popular in E. Asia, are now widely available elsewhere.
Sprouts of all kinds are highly nutritious. Germination breaks down some of the starch and protein in the seeds and makes them more digestible; and the green shoots contain vitamin C which was not present in the seeds. Raw sprouts contain substances which inhibit the action of the digestive enzyme trypsin and must be cooked to make their protein available. Only a little cooking is necessary, such as the Chinese method of quick stir-frying, which preserves the crunchy texture of the sprouts.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
