According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, cabbage is slightly cold in nature and sweet in taste. It is an excellent vegetable for replenishing nutrients, purifying the blood, aiding digestion, preventing diseases, and promoting metabolism, making it suitable for the general public. There is a common saying that "Fish creates fire, meat creates phlegm, but cabbage and tofu ensure peace."
1. Eating cabbage can supplement calcium
Cabbage is rich in calcium, containing so many milligrams per gram. A cup of cooked cabbage juice can provide almost as much calcium as a cup of milk. For those who do not like milk, a sufficient amount of cabbage can be consumed to obtain a lot of calcium.
Recommended recipe: Cabbage Balls
The ingredients needed are cabbage, radish, egg, flour, ginger, salt, and green onion. First, chop the radish and cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and let them sit for a while to draw out the water. Then, squeeze out all the moisture. Finely chop the ginger and green onion, add them to the bowl with the cabbage and radish. Add Sichuan pepper powder, cumin powder, an egg, and flour, then mix well. After mixing, drop the mixture into a hot wok to fry. Control the oil temperature carefully; if it's too hot, the balls will burn on the outside before the inside is cooked. Once fried, remove the balls immediately to prevent them from burning.
2. Eating cabbage nourishes the skin
Cabbage has a high water content and very low calories. Winter air is dry, and the cold wind can be very damaging to the skin. Cabbage is rich in vitamins C and E, and eating more of it can have excellent skincare and beautifying effects.
Recommended recipe: Vinegar-Sautéed Cabbage
The ingredients needed are: cabbage, lean pork, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, dried chili peppers, green onion, sugar, white vinegar, and ginger. Cut the lean pork into shreds and the cabbage into shreds. Remember to cut the cabbage along the grain for it to cook better. Marinate the pork shreds with some salt, cooking wine, and a little soy sauce to allow them to absorb flavor. If you prefer the pork to be more tender, you can add a little egg white and mix. Heat oil in a wok, add the Sichuan peppercorns and star anise and stir-fry until fragrant, then remove and discard them. Add the green onion, ginger, and dried chili peppers to the hot oil to create a fragrant base. Add the marinated pork shreds and stir-fry until they change color, then add the cabbage shreds and continue to stir-fry. Once the cabbage starts to release water, add the prepared sweet and sour sauce. How to make the sauce? In a bowl, mix salt, white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and water until well combined. Stir and season everything, then it's ready to be served.
3. Eating cabbage can prevent cancer
Scientists at the New York Hormone Research Institute in the U.S. discovered that the reason breast cancer rates among women in China and Japan are much lower than among Western women is their frequent consumption of cabbage. Cabbage contains certain trace elements that help break down estrogen linked to breast cancer. Cabbage also contains a small amount of molybdenum, which can inhibit the formation of nitrosamines in the human body, thus playing a certain role in cancer prevention.
Recommended recipe: Black Fungus Stir-fried with Cabbage
The ingredients needed are: lean pork, black fungus, carrot, cabbage, green onion, garlic, salt, and soy sauce. First, soak the black fungus in advance, remove the stems, and tear it into small pieces. Cut the carrot into diamond-shaped slices and the cabbage into diamond-shaped slices. Heat oil in a wok, add green onion and garlic to create a fragrant base. Add the lean pork shreds and stir-fry until they change color, then add the prepared cabbage, carrot, and black fungus. Stir-fry and add salt and soy sauce to taste.
4. Eating cabbage moistens the intestines and promotes bowel movements
Cabbage is rich in dietary fiber, which can help moisten the intestines and promote bowel movements. For people who are prone to "heatiness" (a concept in TCM), eating more cabbage can help clear internal heat.
Recommended recipe: Cabbage with Dipping Sauce
Cabbage is most nutritious when eaten raw, as its nutritional value is not lost without cooking. While some ingredients can be eaten raw and others cannot, cabbage can be eaten raw. For the best raw experience with a dipping sauce, choose the cabbage heart. Peel off the outer layers of the cabbage to save for soups or stir-fries, and dip the inner heart directly into the sauce. It is very sweet, juicy, and has an excellent texture. As for the choice of sauce, it can be varied according to personal preference, such as savory bean sauce, Gochujang (Korean chili paste), broad bean paste, or soybean paste.