Introduction: While delicacies are delicious, they are not necessarily healthy. Nowadays, when people eat, nutrition and health are often the top priority. More and more people are realizing that expensive food does not mean good food. In China's local "cuisine," there are four types that may seem unremarkable, but have been called "longevity vegetables" by our ancestors.
Seaweed lowers blood lipids. "Seaweed is indeed a vegetable with very high nutritional value," Professor Zhang Hude from the Health Preservation Room of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine told the *Life Times* reporter. Seaweed grows in seawater and is a type of algae with an extremely high iodine content. Seaweed is also rich in crude protein, sugar, calcium, and other nutrients, with contents several times higher than those in spinach and rapeseed.
Seaweed and Egg Roll
Shiitake mushrooms prevent cancer. Shiitake mushrooms were the first edible fungi domesticated and cultivated by the Chinese people and have a long history of consumption in our country. Because they are rich in nutrients and have a delicious taste, they are known as the "king of mushrooms". Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty often ate this vegetable and considered it a "longevity vegetable." Zhang Hude told reporters that shiitake mushrooms "benefit qi without causing hunger, treat wind, break blood, and benefit the stomach and help digestion," while in folk medicine, they are often used to treat headaches and dizziness. Modern research has shown that shiitake mushrooms can regulate the human immune system, reduce the possibility of inducing tumors, and have the effect of preventing and fighting cancer.
Fiddlehead ferns reduce inflammation. Fiddlehead ferns, also known as dragon head vegetables or ruyi vegetables, are a common wild vegetable in mountainous areas. "I promoted fiddlehead ferns vigorously a few years ago," Zhang Hude said. "They are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and various vitamins, and have very high nutritional value." Fiddlehead fernin in fiddlehead ferns has a certain inhibitory effect on bacteria, and has good effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, sterilizing and reducing inflammation. It also has a certain therapeutic effect on fever, eczema, sores, and other ailments. "When eating, blanch them in boiling water to remove the astringent taste. Fiddlehead ferns are cold in nature, so people with weak spleen and stomach should not eat too much," Zhang Hude advised.
Garlic Paste and Sesame Sauce with Purslane
Purslane kills bacteria. Purslane, also known as the five-element grass or long-life vegetable, is widely distributed in China and can be eaten fresh or dried. It is a wild delicacy that was recorded in ancient books. Purslane can be stir-fried with shredded pork or made into a soup or stew with egg and shredded pork, which is delicious, crispy, tender, and smooth. "In addition to containing protein, fat, sugar, crude fiber, and various nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, purslane itself has high pharmacological effects," Zhang Hude said. Purslane contains a large amount of norepinephrine, potassium salts, and rich citric acid, malic acid, etc., which can help stabilize blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and protect the heart.
Spicy Fiddlehead Ferns