Cold dishes are simple to prepare and delicious. However, to make them even more tasty and nutritious, there are techniques to follow. Let's explore how to make cold dishes that are both delicious and nutritious.
Techniques for Making Cold Dishes
Vegetables must be washed thoroughly. Some vegetables, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, mung bean sprouts, and lettuce, are easily contaminated by pesticides, parasites, and bacteria during their growth, which are invisible to the naked eye. It is unhygienic to simply wipe unwashed fruits and vegetables with a clean cloth, as this can lead to intestinal infectious diseases when made into cold dishes. The best way to wash them is under running water. According to experiments, running water can remove over 90% of bacteria and parasite eggs. The washing process before mixing should be done carefully. You can first wash with cold water, then briefly blanch with boiling water to kill any remaining bacteria and parasite eggs. If possible, peel the vegetables before processing them into cold dishes for better hygiene.
Vegetables must be fresh. If you use stale vegetables to make cold dishes, combined with inadequate cleaning and disinfection, consuming such dishes can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses. Therefore, the vegetables used for cold dishes must be fresh, must be washed thoroughly during preparation, and it is best to blanch them in boiling water. They can also be soaked in a detergent and then rinsed clean. This significantly reduces the bacteria and parasite eggs on the vegetables. At the same time, when using cooked foods for cold dishes, they should be reheated by steaming or boiling. Adding appropriate seasonings like garlic, vinegar, and scallions not only makes them delicious but also provides a certain antibacterial effect.
Tools must be clean. Knives, cutting boards, bowls, plates, and cloths used for making cold dishes must be cleaned thoroughly before use. It is best to soak them in boiling water first, and utensils should ideally be boiled in boiling water for about 5 minutes. In short, they must be fully disinfected before use.
Cold dishes should not be stored for long. Cold dishes should be prepared and eaten immediately. The bowls for serving cold dishes must be strictly separated from those used for raw meat and other animal products. Many people like to refrigerate cold dishes before eating or store them in the refrigerator for a long time to eat slowly. However, some bacteria can multiply even in low-temperature environments. Because cold dishes are not sterilized at high temperatures, they generally contain more bacteria than stir-fried dishes. For intestinal health, cold dishes should be prepared and eaten fresh, in appropriate quantities. Do not eat cold dishes left overnight. After a night's storage, bacteria in the cold dishes will multiply significantly, which is harmful to your health.
Use seasonings in moderation. When making cold dishes, you can add some seasonings. In addition to common seasonings, add some vinegar, minced garlic, and ginger. This not only adds flavor to the food but also has a sterilizing effect.
Besides this, which foods are not suitable for making cold dishes?
4 Foods Not Suitable for Cold Dishes
Wild vegetables like purslane: Wild vegetables like purslane need to be blanched to thoroughly remove dust and small insects to prevent allergic reactions.
Cruciferous vegetables: Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are rich in nutrients. Blanching them improves their texture and makes their abundant fiber easier to digest.
Mustard family vegetables: Mustard family vegetables like turnips contain a substance called glucosinolate. When hydrolyzed, it produces volatile mustard oil, which aids in digestion and absorption.
Vegetables high in oxalic acid: Vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo, have oxalic acid that binds with calcium in the intestines to form calcium oxalate, which is difficult to absorb and interferes with the body's calcium absorption. Therefore, before making them into cold dishes, they must be blanched in boiling water to remove most of the oxalic acid. Additionally, vegetables like lettuce and water chestnuts should be peeled, washed, and blanched in boiling water before being eaten raw. This is more hygienic and does not affect the taste or nutritional content.
Don't forget the above points when making cold dishes.