A complete guide to cold dishes. Spring has arrived, and fresh vegetables are now in abundance. Many people are happy to enjoy a feast of cold dishes again! However, some vegetables are not suitable for eating raw. So, what's the best way to eat vegetables?
Ginger Juice Beans
Vegetables Suitable for Raw Consumption
Carrots, white radishes, water radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, the heart of napa cabbage, purple cabbage, etc. When eating raw, it's best to choose pesticide-free green or organic vegetables. Methods for eating raw include making homemade vegetable juice, lightly dressing fresh vegetables with vinegar, salt, olive oil, etc., or cutting them into pieces to dip in sauce.
Vegetables That Need to Be Blanching
Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, taste better after blanching. They are rich in fiber and easier to digest. Vegetables high in oxalic acid, like spinach, bamboo shoots, and water bamboo, should also be blanched, as oxalic acid combines with calcium in the intestines to form calcium oxalate, which is difficult to absorb and interferes with the body's calcium absorption. Vegetables from the mustard family, like turnips, contain sinigrin, which hydrolyzes into volatile mustard oil after blanching, improving the flavor and aiding digestion. Blanching wild vegetables like purslane can thoroughly remove dust and insects and prevent allergies. For vegetables like lettuce and water chestnuts, it's also best to peel, wash, and scald them in boiling water before eating raw.
Vegetables That Must Be Cooked
1. Starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, taro, and Chinese yams, must be cooked, otherwise the starch granules will not break down, and the human body cannot digest them.
2. Kidney beans and green beans contain large amounts of saponins and hemagglutinins and must be cooked until they change color before consumption.
3. Bean sprouts must always be cooked, whether in cold dishes or stir-fried.
Fresh Daylilies and Wood Ear Mushrooms Should Not Be Eaten
Fresh wood ear mushrooms and fresh daylilies contain toxins and should never be eaten. When eating dried wood ear mushrooms, it is best to soak them in warm water before cooking. Do not eat the parts that remain tightly shrunk after soaking. Dried daylilies are better rehydrated in cold water.
A Mix of Raw and Cooked is Most Beneficial
A combination of raw and cooked vegetables is more beneficial for the body. For example, there are many varieties of radishes; those that are juicy and less spicy are better for eating raw. However, as they are considered cooling foods, people with a yin deficiency constitution should eat them cooked. The nutrients absorbed from some foods differ when eaten raw versus cooked. For instance, tomatoes contain lycopene, which can reduce the risk of prostate and liver cancer, and this nutrient is better absorbed when cooked. However, if you want to get vitamin C, eating them raw is more effective because vitamin C is easily lost during cooking.
Ginger Bean