"Qi Min Zhishu" said: "The dish of bud soup, lettuce is the first"
Introduction to lettuce
Brasenia schreberi J. F. Gmel. is a perennial aquatic herb in the family Brasenia family. The rhizome is small, the stem is slender, multi-branched; Leaf type II, floating leaves shield-shaped, green above, purple below, glabrous; The flowers are small, dark purple, anthers bar-shaped, the fruit is leathery, oblong-ovate, with curved spines at the apex. The flowering period is June, and the fruit period is October ~ November. The lettuce gets its name because its young stems resemble filament.
The stems and leaves of lettuce are rich in gelatinous and tender and smooth, and are known as the "three famous dishes of Jiangnan" together with cocoon white and sea bass. "Qi Min Zhishu" said: "The dish of bud soup, lettuce is the first". Ulva is not only a precious ingredient, but also has the effect of clearing heat, reducing swelling and detoxifying, mainly treating humid heat dysentery, jaundice, edema, unfavorable urination, heat poison carbuncle, and has certain medicinal value. During the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhang Han was an official in the capital Luoyang, and when he saw the autumn breeze, he remembered the lettuce and sea bass in his hometown, and returned home from the competition. Later generations will miss their hometown and call it "the thought of sea bass"
Morphological characteristics of lettuce
Ultuce, a perennial aquatic herb in the family Ultuceae, flowers of both sexes, whisker root system, mainly distributed in 10-15 cm soil layer; The rhizome is small, the stem is slender, multi-branched; The rhizome bears leaves and creeping branches, the latter of which take root at the nodes and produce leafy branches and other creeping branches. leaves elliptic, leaf two-shaped, floating leaves shield-shaped, 3.5–6 cm long, 5–10 cm wide, green above, blue-green, purple below, glabrous on both sides, wrinkled from leaf veins; The petioles are 25–40 cm long and pubescent on peduncles. Flowers 1–2 cm in diameter, dark purple; peduncles 6–10 cm long; Sepals and petals strip-shaped, 1–1.5 cm long, obtuse at apex, anthers bar-shaped, about 4 mm long, cortex stripe-shaped, slightly pubescent. nut round ovate, leathery, with curved spines at the apex, with 3 or more mature cortex; Seeds 1-2, ovate. The flowering period is June, and the fruit period is October-November
The habitat of the origin of lettuce
Native to southeast China, lettuce was originally widely distributed in many areas of the northern hemisphere, and is now mainly distributed in China, Russia, Japan, India, Australia, North America, Canada and other places, as well as eastern Oceania and western Africa. In China, it is mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Yunnan and other places, and is widely distributed in the area south of 30° north latitude, most of which are born in the swamps of the Yangtze River Basin, especially Hangzhou West Lake, Jiangsu Taihu Lake and other places
All swamp ponds south of the Yellow River, western Hubei and Shizhu County in Chongqing grow in Taihu Lake in Jiangsu (still one of the "Eight Immortals of Taihu Lake"), Gaobao Lake in northern Jiangsu, especially Fubaoshan lettuce in Lichuan City, Hubei Province exported to South Korea, Japan and other countries. West Lake in Hangzhou and Mahu Lake in Leibo County, Lichuan City in Hubei Province and Huangshui Town in Shizhu County in Chongqing are famous for their lettuce.
The growth habit of lettuce
Ulva is highly adaptable, likes warm and sunny deep-water environments, and has a certain degree of cold tolerance. The suitable growth temperature of lettuce is 20~30 °C, it grows well in the water with clean water quality, fertile soil and water depth of 20~60cm, grows slowly when the water surface temperature reaches 40 °C, and gradually stops growing when the temperature is lower than 15 °C, the assimilation products are stored and transported to the stem, and dormant buds are formed. In case of frost, the leaves and part of the water stem die, and the underground stem and the remaining water stem overwinter
The main value of lettuce
Ulva is a precious wild aquatic vegetable, containing acidic polysaccharides, proteins, amino acids, vitamins, histamine and trace elements, etc., and its application value is concentrated on medical value and edible value
The medicinal properties of lettuce
Ultuce has the effect of clearing heat, relieving water, reducing swelling and detoxifying. Treat fever, jaundice, carbuncles, boils. Take whole herbs into medicine. Sexual taste: sweet, cold. Mainly treats heat and detoxification, anti-nausea. Mainly treats hypertensive disease, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting, regurgitation, carbuncles, boils, hot boils. Fresh products are boiled or mashed and swallowed, and external fresh products are mashed and applied to the affected area
"Sex Nai" is sweet, cold, and non-toxic. Ingredients: The back of the leaf secretes a mucus similar to agar (watercress), which is more abundant in the young leaves that reveal the surface of the water. It also contains protein, fat, polypentose, gallic acid, etc. Function Anti-nausea, antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory and detoxification
Documentation of lettuce
In the "Medical Forest Essentials" contains "eliminate troubles, relieve fever, eliminate phlegm". Ultuce is cold, do not eat more and for a long time. Ultuce is rich in nutrition, containing a large amount of gamma vitamins, protein and trace iron, which has the effects of beauty, stomach strengthening, strengthening the body, and preventing cancer
According to Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica", lettuce can quench thirst and heat paralysis, and make crucian carp soup to relieve vomiting, replenish large and small intestinal deficiency, cure fever, thicken the stomach, settle down scorch, and detoxify water by water.
"Qi Min Zhishu": "Wei, sex is pure and easy to give birth. The seeds are shallow and deep, with fat stems and few leaves in deep water, thin stems and many leaves in shallow water. Its sex is smooth after water, so it is called a medicinal dish, and it has the name of Aoi. "Rihuazi Materia Medica": "Cure fever, thicken the stomach, settle down the scorch, and solve a hundred poisons." "Medical Forest Essentials": "Remove troubles, relieve fever, eliminate diseases." "Materia Medica": "Medicinal vegetables cool stomach to cure boils, heat dissipation paralysis medicine also." This grass is cold and slippery, and ginger vinegar as a soup, clear the stomach fire, eliminate alcohol accumulation, and stop heat into diarrhea. ”
"Lotus Root and Lettuce" is selected from Ye Shengtao Collection (Volume 5), Jiangsu Education Publishing House, 1988. Ye Shengtao (1894~1988), modern writer, educator, publisher and social activist. A native of Suzhou, Jiangsu.
Taihu lettuce
Taihu lettuce is one of the famous specialties of Suzhou. The young leaves and young stems of lettuce contain a gelatinous mucus, which has a delicate, smooth and refreshing feeling when eaten, and has a refreshing fragrance, excellent taste and unique flavor. Taihu lettuce is convenient to eat, can be served with meat stir-fried, vegetarian, soup, can also be filling, is the best for making delicious dishes.
There are many lettuces, unique to Taihu Lake, let me taste the unique flavor of Taihu Lake, it is simple to make, and has natural nutritional value
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