Many people enjoy eating chili peppers, but few may know that chili leaves can also be eaten as a vegetable. They are sweet, fresh, and tender with a pleasant texture, making them perfectly suitable as a leafy green vegetable. In recent years, chili leaves have become a trendy vegetable, popular in Hong Kong, Macao, and other Southeast Asian regions, and have become a best-selling food.
Chinese researchers have tested the nutritional components of chili leaves and have proven that they are more nutritious than chili peppers. Research shows: the protein amino acids in chili leaves are complete in variety, with a total content nearly three times higher than that of chili fruits. Among them, the content of essential amino acids for the human body is 9.74% in leaves vs. 2.84% in fruits; the content of umami amino acids is 4.1% in leaves vs. 2.79% in fruits; and the content of sweet amino acids is 8.0% in leaves vs. 2.36% in fruits. Mineral element analysis shows that, except for magnesium, which is lower in leaves than in fruits, the content of iron, calcium, manganese, copper, and zinc is significantly higher in the leaves. This includes selenium, an element with anti-cancer properties, which is nearly twice as high in the leaves as in the fruits. Furthermore, chili leaves are also rich in beneficial components such as carotene and various vitamins.
Chili leaves are sweet, fresh, and tender with a good texture, and can be prepared in various ways. Common methods include: ① Cold salad: Briefly blanch in boiling water, then rinse in cold water. Add minced ginger and season with salt, MSG, and vinegar; no additional chili is needed. ② Soup: Use 150 grams of fresh chili leaves and 2 eggs. First, fry the shelled eggs in cooking oil until golden, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil, then add the chili leaves and cook together. Finally, season with salt. ③ Pancakes: Mix chopped chili leaves into a batter, add a little salt, and deep-fry in refined oil until crispy for direct consumption. Additionally, chili leaves can be stir-fried plain or with shredded pork. If added to chicken offal soup, pork liver soup, or fish soup and cooked, they impart a fresh, savory, and smooth flavor that is quite unique. Chili leaves are non-toxic and have effects of dispelling cold, nourishing blood, and strengthening the stomach. Regular consumption can help warm the stomach, eliminate dampness and strengthen the spleen, and enhance appetite. They are particularly effective for dietary therapy of stomach pain caused by deficiency and cold. Due to their rich content of vitamins and minerals, regular consumption also has health benefits such as nourishing the liver and improving eyesight, as well as aiding in weight loss and beauty.