Taste for the Exotic : Perilla leaf, daikon, bok choy and burdock root tempt the adventurous palate.

Steam billows and oil crackles as your dinner is being prepared in a searing wok. Ready in just minutes will be a fresh mix of chicken breast, carrot slices, bean sprouts, pea pods--and yow choi . You’ve discovered the flavor and nutritional goodness of Asian vegetables.

Slowly but surely, a wide variety of vegetables and herbs--largely unknown or considered exotic--are making their way into the diets of those health-conscious folks who are switching to a diet low in fat and high in veggies.

“It’s a matter of getting people to experiment,” said John Fuji, a Ventura County grower. And that includes trying the likes of perilla leaf, daikon, bok choy and burdock root.

“Mainstream people are beginning to be creative with the differing varieties,” Fuji said. He and his wife, Julie, offer an assortment of Japanese vegetables at the Thousand Oaks and Ventura (Saturdays) farmers markets.

Fuji and his brother started FMK Products in 1980 as an outgrowth of the family-operated celery business in Camarillo. They soon began selling their hothouse-grown specialty vegetables to Asian markets in the Los Angeles area.

But their hope was also to expose vegetable fanciers in Ventura County to their Japanese varieties. Given the lack of Asian markets in the county, the next viable option was to offer their goods at the popular farmers markets.

“We went with an idea of educating people so they could gain a familiarity with the products,” Fuji said.

When John and Julie first arrived at the farmers markets in June, the vegetables got a lot of stares--but generated few sales.

“People would stop and scratch their head and just keep walking by,” he said.

Things have changed. “If you look at what we started out with and what we do now, it’s incredible. We’ve increased greatly.”

Repeat customers have taken a liking to these vegetables that are rarely seen in Ventura County. “Most of what we grow you would normally only find in restaurants,” he said. “But people are slowly starting to adapt to them.”

The FMK Products line includes a variety of vegetables commonly used in stir-fried dishes, as well as raw:

* Burdock root ( gobo )--this mild-flavored root vegetable is a staple of Japanese cooking, Fuji said. “It takes on whatever flavor you season it with.”

* Perilla leaf ( shiso )--likened to mint and basil, minced and used fresh for seasoning fish, poultry and pesto.

* Trefoil ( mitsuba )-- watercress-type vegetable with a “totally unique flavor,” Fuji said. He suggested sauteing with mushrooms.

* Japanese eggplant ( nasubi )--banana-shaped and yellowish with a firmer texture than the common purple eggplant.

FMK Products also offers such items as Japanese pumpkins, seedless cucumbers, sprouts and daikon.

“We’re getting some real positive feedback from our customers,” Fuji said. “They’re coming up with their own unique uses.”

Neng Her is also doing a brisk business at area farmers markets. A loyal contingent of patrons come to Her’s stand for two daikon varieties--the long, slender type and a large, bloated turnip-shaped version. They can also purchase Chinese cabbage and other seasonal Asian vegetables.

One variety is yow choi. “It’s almost like a spinach,” he said. Its slender, green leaves are accented with tiny, bright yellow flowers that are to be cooked along with the plant in stir-fried and other dishes.

Baby bok choy is a favorite of patrons of Romeo Lozano at the Oxnard and Thousand Oaks farmers markets. “It is more tender and a little sweeter than the regular type,” he said. Lozano suggested including the leafy vegetable in stir-fry preparations.

“Make sure you get it fresh,” he advised. “Look at the bottom where it has been sliced off the plant--make sure it’s white and not brown and discolored.”

SERVING SUGGESTION / KIMPIRA

Japanese vegetable grower John Fuji suggested a kimpira recipe for preparing burdock root:

Peel burdock root and julienne. Soak strips in water for about one hour. Drain.

Add strips to hot, oiled wok or skillet and stir fry for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and Saki. Cover, lower heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until tender.

Raise heat. Add soy sauce to taste and fry for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.