Garlic chives bring both joy and worry. Some people love its flavor, while others dislike the aftertaste, and some worry it might cause an upset stomach. How can this delicious gift from nature become a truly delectable dish at the dinner table, a meal that nourishes our bodies?
Proverbs reveal the wisdom of diet.
"In the first month, onions; in the second month, garlic chives." Are garlic chives more suitable for the human body in winter and spring?
The garlic chives that grow in the second lunar month, due to the favorable climate and suitable soil, are a seasonal vegetable that is highly nutritious and very suitable for eating.
In addition to their good quality, their nature and flavor are also well-suited to the human body in winter and spring. The temperature is low in winter and spring, and garlic chives are warm in nature, which can replenish kidney qi and boost vitality. In winter, the body stores yang energy; garlic chives warm and tonify the kidney yang, making them ideal for the body's storage of yang. In spring, the liver qi tends to be excessive, and in the five elements theory, wood overcomes earth, which can affect the spleen and stomach's digestive function. Eating garlic chives can恰好 strengthen the spleen and stomach qi.
Garlic chives have the effect of warming yang and penetrating orifices, which can dispel the chill of early spring, warm and unblock yang energy, enhance physical strength, and promote blood circulation. One way to preserve yang energy in spring is to eat more garlic chives.
"A man should never be without garlic chives, a woman should never be without lotus root." Are garlic chives more suitable for men? Are women relatively unsuitable for eating them?
Lotus root can nourish yin, while garlic chives can boost yang. This proverb is a summary based on the different physiological characteristics of men and women. Men often suffer from kidney yang deficiency, while women often suffer from yin and blood deficiency. Therefore, men should eat more garlic chives to supplement yang, and women should eat more lotus root to increase blood.
Yu Renwen believes that from a nutritional perspective, this statement has little basis. In specific applications, it should be combined with an individual's own physical condition and applied flexibly, not mechanically followed.
Garlic chives are also called "broken intestine grass" or "perforating intestine grass." Why do they cause a burning sensation after being eaten?
There are two reasons for the heartburn caused by garlic chives. First, raw garlic chives contain volatile allyl sulfide, which gives them a spicy flavor and stimulates appetite. Allyl sulfide is also found in the bulbs of plants like garlic and onions, which can resist cold, kill bacteria, and defend against the flu. When eaten raw, these volatile substances can irritate the gastrointestinal tract, easily causing heartburn.
Everyone has heard that garlic chives are also called "perforating intestine grass" because they are rich in dietary fiber and are not easily digested in the stomach, which stimulates the secretion of more stomach acid. This is also a main cause of heartburn.
How to choose garlic chives? Verifying 3 folk tips.
1. Are narrow-leafed garlic chives more fragrant than wide-leafed ones?
There are two types of garlic chives on the market: one with wide leaves, more common in northern markets, and one with narrow leaves, more common in southern markets. Beijing used to have a narrow-leafed variety called "iron wire seedling," with very thin, cylindrical, and triangular cross-section leaves. Now, most garlic chives in Beijing are wide-leafed, with broad, flat leaves.
Generally speaking, wide-leafed garlic chives have a relatively milder taste and are not as fragrant or spicy as narrow-leafed ones.
Yu Renwen also prefers to use narrow-leafed garlic chives, believing their flavor is slightly richer.
2. Are purple-rooted garlic chives more delicious than white-rooted ones?
The idea that purple-rooted garlic chives are more delicious is a summary of folk experience, and I believe there is some truth to it.
Purple-rooted garlic chives refer to varieties where the lower false stem of the plant shows a distinct purple color. A purple false stem indicates an increased content of anthocyanin-like organic substances. Regardless of whether the variety has red, purple, or white roots, when the weather is colder, the leaf tips and false stems of garlic chives can show varying degrees of purple. As the temperature rises, the red or purple color will fade or even disappear, as low temperatures are conducive to the accumulation of anthocyanin-like substances. In fact, during cool seasons with large temperature differences between day and night, which are ideal for garlic chive growth, the accumulation of anthocyanins, sugars, and other organic substances is more sufficient, and the crude fiber content is lower, resulting in a spicy, aromatic, and crisp texture.
3. Is the root the most likely place for pesticide residue? How to choose safe and reliable garlic chives?
The onion maggot is the main pest of garlic chives, primarily harming the roots and the base of the false stem, significantly affecting yield. In severe cases, it can lead to a reduction of over 50%. Control of onion maggots is generally done by applying pesticides to the roots. The use of banned pesticides, excessive application, or not adhering to the pesticide safety interval can lead to excessive pesticide residues in garlic chives.
Some suggest cutting off one inch of the root before eating, but the flavor substances of garlic chives are mainly concentrated in the root, which affects the texture and flavor. The effective method is to choose garlic chives sold in regular markets, especially those that are certified as pollution-free, green, or organic.
4 steps to pick fresh garlic chives.
1. Look at the cut: The root cut should be relatively flat.
2. Look at the color: Straight, fresh, tender, and翠绿 leaves with fewer yellow tips at the end are better. The darker the color of the leaves, the older the garlic chives.
3. Pinch: Garlic chives with less moisture loss at the root and that can be pinched are fresh.
4. Hold: Hold the root of the garlic chives; if the leaves stand upright, they are fresh. If the leaves are loose and drooping, they are not fresh.
Storage methods for garlic chives.
Tie the garlic chives together, place them root-end down in cold water, and they can be kept fresh for 3 to 5 days.
Wrap them in a plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator; they can be preserved for about a week.
How to eat garlic chives? Learning to eat them nutritiously and deliciously.
The unique flavor is due to sulfur-containing compounds.
Garlic chives have a very delicious and unique flavor, which is formed by the sulfur-containing compounds they contain.
These sulfur-containing compounds have certain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, helping the body improve its own immunity. They can also remove fishy and odorous smells and enhance umami. Moreover, garlic chives have a fresh aroma after cooking, which is especially appetizing, so they can be paired with many ingredients, especially with ingredients that have a strong fishy or gamey smell, for even better results.
They also help the body absorb vitamin B1 and vitamin A. Therefore, pairing garlic chives with pork and other foods rich in vitamin B1 is a nutritious way to eat them.
Quick-fry garlic chives over high heat.
Sulfur-containing compounds are volatile when heated. Therefore, when cooking, other ingredients should be fully cooked before adding the garlic chives, then quickly stir-fry over high heat and remove from the wok. If heated for slightly too long, the flavor of the garlic chives will be lost.
Dietary taboos for eating garlic chives.
1. People with indigestion or weak gastrointestinal function may experience heartburn from eating garlic chives and should not eat too much.
2. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" once recorded: "Eating too much garlic chives can lead to mental confusion and dim vision; it is especially forbidden after drinking alcohol." Modern medicine believes that people with yang hyperactivity and heat-related syndromes should not eat them.
3. People with tonsillitis, sinusitis, and otitis media cannot eat garlic chives.
4. People who dislike spicy food or are prone to allergies should also avoid them.
5. Special populations should eat garlic chives in moderation.
Garlic chives contain oxalic acid, which can easily have an antagonistic reaction with minerals and trace elements, affecting their absorption. And when cooking garlic chives, they are rarely blanched (blanching can remove oxalic acid). Therefore, the elderly, children, pregnant and postpartum women, and people deficient in calcium, iron, and zinc should try to eat them in moderation.
TIPS:
Although garlic chives have many benefits for the human body, their coarse fiber content is high and not easily digested. Therefore, they should be consumed in moderation. Otherwise, a large amount of coarse fiber can irritate the intestinal wall, often causing diarrhea. The recommended amount is 100 to 200 grams per person per serving, not exceeding 400 grams, and one to two times a week is sufficient.