Introduction: As one of the most common foods on our daily tables, some vegetables must be cooked before consumption. If you're in a hurry or other circumstances prevent you from cooking these vegetables thoroughly, eating them can be harmful to your body. Let's take a look at which vegetables need to be cooked before eating.
Green Beans
Many of you may already know this, but if green beans are not cooked thoroughly, the saponins in them can severely irritate the digestive tract, stimulating the stomach and intestines and potentially causing food poisoning and symptoms of gastroenteritis. Therefore, it's essential to cook them thoroughly, or blanch them in boiling water before stir-frying for safer consumption.
Sesame Green Beans
Spinach
As a popular accompaniment to hot pot or instant noodles, we might be accustomed to giving it a quick blanch and eating it directly. We also believe that spinach cooks very easily and a brief scald is sufficient. However, spinach cannot be eaten raw; it must be fully cooked. This is because spinach is rich in nitrates, which convert into nitrites—harmful substances to our bodies—once ingested.
Mushroom
Wood ear mushrooms have a crunchy, chewy texture, similar to cartilage. However, they must be fully cooked before consumption. Eating raw or undercooked wood ear mushrooms can easily trigger skin itching and other dermatitis, and may also cause edema.
Water Bamboo
Water bamboo contains oxalic acid. Once consumed, oxalic acid can easily be converted into calcium oxalate, a substance that is difficult for the human body to absorb. This reduces the absorption of calcium, which can lead to calcium deficiency. Therefore, vegetables high in oxalic acid, such as water bamboo, spinach, and bamboo shoots, should be blanched and cooked thoroughly before eating.
Braised Water Bamboo
Daylily
Daylilies contain a component called colchicine. After being absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, it transforms into highly toxic colchicine dioxide. This substance is very irritating to the stomach and spleen, which can lead to symptoms such as extreme thirst, heartburn, and diarrhea. Therefore, fresh daylilies must be cooked thoroughly. It is recommended to soak dried daylilies in clean water before consumption.
Purslane
As a delicious wild vegetable, wild greens may not be as easily cleaned as common household vegetables and can have residual dust or insects. It's best to clean them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling water for safer consumption.
Golden Mushroom
Similar to fresh daylilies, raw golden mushrooms contain colchicine, which converts into harmful colchicine dioxide in the human body. It is highly irritating to the stomach and intestines. It is recommended to cook golden mushrooms thoroughly, whether stir-frying or adding to a hot pot.
Scallion Oil Golden Mushroom Steamed Shrimp