Introduction: The nitrite content in toon is much higher than in ordinary vegetables. How can you eat toon to be both nutritious and healthy?
What to eat during the transition from spring to summer? TCM health experts believe that following nature is the best way. Following nature means adhering to the natural law of yang energy flourishing in spring and summer, and the natural growth cycle of seasonal vegetables. At this time, the fresh, tender, delicious, and nutritious toon naturally becomes everyone's first choice. However, the nitrite content in toon is much higher than in ordinary vegetables. How can you eat toon to be both nutritious and healthy? Today, the Food God will teach you a few tricks.
Topic: Stir-fried Toon with Eggs
Ingredients: 3 eggs, an appropriate amount of toon, an appropriate amount of salt and cooking oil.
Method:
1. Wash the toon, blanch it in hot water for a moment, chop it, and set it aside;
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them. Add the chopped toon to the egg mixture, add a pinch of salt, and mix well;
3. Heat an appropriate amount of oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, pour in the toon and egg mixture and stir-fry until the eggs are cooked through. Then, serve and enjoy.
39 Food God's Nutritional Tips:
I. Toon sprouts are a delicacy that can prevent chronic diseases.
Toon, known as the "tree vegetable," are the tender buds of the toon tree. They sprout every spring and are far more nutritious than other vegetables. China is the only country in the world that uses toon sprouts in its cuisine. The tender sprouts can be made into various dishes. They are not only rich in nutrition but also have significant medicinal value.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, toon is considered to have a bitter, astringent taste and a neutral nature. It affects the liver, stomach, and kidney meridians, and is believed to have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, strengthening the stomach and regulating qi, moisturizing the skin and brightening the eyes, killing parasites, stopping bleeding, and alleviating diarrhea. Toon is a seasonal delicacy rich in volatile aromatic organic compounds like toonin, which can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite. It is especially suitable for people who lose their appetite due to excessive dampness and changing temperatures during the spring-summer transition. According to the "Shi Liao Ben Cao" (Materia Medica for Diet Therapy), "Eating too much toon stirs the wind, affects the twelve meridians and the five zang-fu organs, causing mental confusion and diminished blood and qi. If frequently eaten with pork or hot noodles, it can cause fullness by obstructing the meridians." Therefore, toon should not be consumed in excess.
From a nutritional perspective, toon not only has a unique flavor that whets the appetite but is also highly nutritious. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and its content of B vitamins is among the highest in vegetables. Other studies have also found that toon may help prevent chronic diseases. It contains components that inhibit various pathogenic bacteria, components that help with anti-tumor, lipid-lowering, and blood sugar-lowering effects, and a considerable amount of polyphenolic antioxidants.
II. Toon is rich in nitrates; how can you eat it safely and healthily?
Toon contains nitrates and nitrites, with levels far exceeding those in ordinary vegetables. Furthermore, toon has a higher protein content than common vegetables, posing a risk of forming the carcinogen nitrosamine. Therefore, eating toon has potential safety hazards. So, how can you eat toon safely and nutritiously?
1. Choose fresh and tender toon sprouts. The nitrite content is lowest at the beginning of sprouting and shortly after picking. As the toon sprouts grow and accumulate during transport, the nitrite content gradually increases, which is detrimental to health if consumed in large quantities.
2. Blanch to remove nitrates and nitrites. If the toon sprouts are not very fresh but still fragrant, and you don't want to waste them, you can blanch them. Boiling in water for about 1 minute can remove over two-thirds of the nitrates and nitrites, while also better preserving the green color of the toon.
3. Marinate the toon sprouts for a longer time. Many people like to salt-preserve toon for two or three days before eating, which is a very unsafe practice. After pickling, the nitrite content in toon surges, reaching a peak in three to four days. Blanching before pickling can significantly reduce the nitrate content, thereby lowering the risk of eating pickled toon. However, the safest method is to eat the blanched toon only after marinating it for a week, by which time the nitrite content will have decreased.
4. Eat it with foods rich in vitamin C. Toon itself has a higher vitamin C content than ordinary vegetables and fruits. If you eat fresh toon, vitamin C can help block the formation of the carcinogen nitrosamine.