Not all vegetables are suitable for eating raw. Some vegetables are best blanched in boiling water before consumption, while others must be thoroughly cooked before being eaten.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are rich in nutrients. Blanching them improves their texture, and their abundant dietary fiber becomes easier to digest.
Mustard Greens
Vegetables like turnips contain a substance called glucosinolate. When hydrolyzed, it produces volatile mustard oil, which aids in digestion and absorption.
Wild Vegetables like Purslane
These should be blanched to thoroughly remove soil and small insects, preventing allergic reactions.
Vegetables High in Oxalic Acid
Such as spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo. Oxalic acid binds with calcium in the intestines to form calcium oxalate, which is difficult to absorb and interferes with the body's calcium absorption. Before eating them cold, they must be blanched in boiling water to remove most of the oxalic acid.
In addition, for vegetables like lettuce and water chestnuts, it is also best to peel, wash, and blanch them in boiling water before eating raw. This is more hygienic and does not affect the taste or nutritional content.