Every year from March to April is the peak season for wild vegetables. A handful of lush green wild vegetables can be turned into a mouthful of greenness and fragrance after simple cooking. Eating wild vegetables in season is also beneficial to health.
Shepherd's Purse Tofu Balls
Shepherd's Purse
Shepherd's Purse is the most representative wild vegetable in spring. It has effects such as calming the liver, improving vision, clearing heat, stopping diarrhea, promoting urination, and reducing swelling. Due to its various amino acids, shepherd's purse has a very delicious taste.
From a nutritional perspective, the protein content of shepherd's purse is among the best in vegetables, and it is rich in nutrients such as vitamin B2 and vitamin C. Its calcium content is also very abundant.
The most common use for shepherd's purse is as a filling for spring pancakes, spring rolls, buns, dumplings, etc. In the Jianghan Plain area of Hubei, there is also a custom of eating steamed dishes made with shepherd's purse.
Purslane
Purslane, also known as Five-Element Grass, can be eaten fresh or dried.
In addition to containing nutrients like protein, fat, sugar, crude fiber, and calcium, phosphorus, iron, purslane is also rich in potassium salts and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have effects such as lowering blood pressure and protecting the heart. There are many ways to eat purslane. Besides using it as a filling, blanched purslane can also be stir-fried or served as a cold dish.
Drunken Wine Stir-fried Bracken Fern
Bracken Fern
Bracken Fern, also known as Dragon Head Vegetable, is common in mountainous areas. It is rich in protein, fat, minerals, and various vitamins.
The crude fiber in bracken fern can promote gastrointestinal motility, reduce the absorption of fat by the intestines, and has the effects of promoting bowel movement, aiding digestion, and reducing weight.
The bracken fern in bracken fern has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria and has good effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, and reducing inflammation.
Common ways to eat it include cold-dressed bracken fern and bracken fern stir-fried with shredded pork. However, it should be noted that bracken fern is cold in nature, so people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much of it.
Toon
Toon has a special aroma and is widely distributed in China.
Toon is rich in components such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. The organic substances it contains, such as toonin, can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite; vitamin C, carotene, etc., help enhance human immunity.
Common dishes include scrambled eggs with toon and toon mixed with tofu. However, traditional Chinese medicine believes that toon is a "trigger food" that can induce chronic diseases if eaten in excess, so people with chronic illnesses should try to eat less.
Although wild vegetables have certain nutritional value, most are cold in nature and have the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, so people with a weak spleen and stomach should eat less.
In addition, wild vegetables such as purslane and elm money contain allergens. After consumption, exposing the skin to the sun can easily induce solar dermatitis, so people who are prone to allergies should eat less or not at all.
Experts also remind that wild vegetables should not be eaten in large quantities. Never eat them randomly. Before eating, wash them thoroughly with plenty of water and blanch them in boiling water as much as possible to remove some toxins. It is best not to eat wild vegetables that cannot be identified. If an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical attention promptly.
The tofuballs
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