Introduction: Spring is a season of revival, and many vegetables have successively appeared in the market. Various wild vegetables have also entered our field of vision. Due to their rich nutrition, delicious taste, and freedom from chemical pesticide pollution, wild vegetables are pure natural green foods that are increasingly loved by more and more people. Let's take a look at the ten must-eat wild vegetables in spring and see if they are on your family's table.
1. Ferns
Ferns are not only fresh, tender, and smooth, but also highly nutritious. They are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals and are known as the "king of mountain vegetables." In addition, ferns also contain 18 amino acids. Modern research suggests that the fiber in ferns can promote intestinal peristalsis and reduce the absorption of fat by the digestive system. Ferns are sweet in taste and cold in nature, and in traditional medicine, they have effects such as detoxification, clearing heat, moistening the intestines, and resolving phlegm. Regular consumption can lower blood pressure and relieve dizziness and insomnia. Moreover, ferns can also stop diarrhea and promote urination. The dietary fiber it contains can promote gastrointestinal motility, has the effect of promoting qi circulation and bowel movements, clearing the intestines and detoxifying, and can also treat rheumatoid arthritis, dysentery, and hemoptysis. It also has a preventive effect on measles and influenza.
Stir-fried Ferns with Wine Lees
2. Toon
Toon, known as the "tree vegetable," is the tender bud of the toon tree. Every spring around the Grain Rain, the tender buds of toon can be made into various dishes. It is not only rich in nutrition but also has high medicinal value. Toon leaves are thick and the buds are tender, with green leaves and red edges, like agate and jade. It has a rich aroma, and its nutritional value is far higher than other vegetables, making it a precious and famous dish for banquets. Toon contains toonin and other volatile aromatic organic compounds, which can strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite. The volatile smell of toon can penetrate the skin of roundworms, preventing them from attaching to the intestinal wall and being expelled from the body, so it can be used to treat ascariasis. Toon is rich in vitamin C, carotene, etc., which helps to enhance the body's immune function and has the effect of lubricating the skin, making it a good food for health and beauty.
Toon Tofu
3. Shepherd's Purse
Shepherd's purse, also known as water caltrop, wheat field vegetable, pillow grass, and protective life grass, etc. Shepherd's purse has tender leaves and fleshy roots, with an alluring fragrance and delicious taste. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, carotene, vitamin C, and various amino acids and minerals needed by the human body. There are many ways to eat shepherd's purse, such as stir-frying or making soup. People also often use shepherd's purse as a filling for buns, spring rolls, dumplings, and tangyuan. Shepherd's purse is also a genuine medicinal herb. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that shepherd's purse is sweet and pungent in taste, cool and neutral in nature, and has the effects of harmonizing the spleen, promoting urination, stopping bleeding, and improving eyesight. It can treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, dysentery, nephritis, etc.
Shepherd's Purse and Wheat Meal
4. Kalimeris Indica
Kalimeris Indica, also known as Malantou, roadside chrysanthemum, red stem vegetable, and chicken vegetable, etc., is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. It gets its name because its tender stems, leaves, and tops are picked as vegetables. It is rich in vitamins and inorganic salts, exceeding even nutrient-rich spinach. The vitamin A content of Kalimeris Indica exceeds that of tomatoes, and its vitamin C content exceeds that of citrus fruits. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that Kalimeris Indica is cool in nature and pungent in taste, non-toxic, and has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling blood to stop bleeding, and promoting urination to reduce swelling. Eating Kalimeris Indica often is beneficial for many diseases such as hypertension, pharyngitis, acute hepatitis, and tonsillitis. It can be stir-fried, cold-dressed, or dried as a dried vegetable for later use.
Kalimeris Indica with Dried Tofu
5. Purslane
Also known as longevity vegetable, melon seed vegetable, Ma She Zi Cai, and five-element grass, etc. It contains vitamins A, B, C, carotene, protein, crude fiber, and calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that purslane is cold in nature and has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, reducing swelling, promoting urination, cooling blood, lowering blood pressure, and promoting urination. It can be used to treat urethritis, hematuria, dysentery, jaundice hepatitis, and gynecological diseases. It is often used by the people to make soup, congee, or cold-dressed. Modern research has found that purslane is also rich in SL3 fatty acids and vitamin A-like substances. SL3 fatty acids are necessary for the formation of cell membranes, especially brain cell membranes and eye cell membranes; vitamin A-like substances can maintain the normal function of epithelial tissues such as skin, cornea, and conjunctiva, participate in the synthesis of visual purple, enhance the photosensitivity of the retina, and also participate in many oxidation processes in the body. A special reminder: purslane has a significant excitatory effect on the uterus, so pregnant women should not eat it, and people with a weak spleen and stomach should also eat it in moderation.
Pickled Purslane