Sources: All of the information stated in this article is based on reliable sources, and is detailed at the end of the article
Written by Kinami
Edited by Mu Nan
Preamble:
Speaking of those things in the countryside, I believe that in the minds of most friends, they are memories of childhood.
In the old days of hunger and cold, people who were really hungry would go to the mountains and pick something that seemed to be edible.
Don't look at them strangely, but what everyone doesn't know is that these "weeds" actually have high nutritional value, and if you see these wild vegetables in the field, remember to only pick its leaves, not uproot.
So, do you know which "weeds" can be used as medicine and as a hunger filler?
What are they called in your hometown?
Why can't you uproot?
Presumably, you will more or less hear such remarks from the older generation: "What a pity to lose this, in our time, it was good to have food, and you still don't know how to cherish food."
It doesn't matter if you're from that era or not, some of the wild mushrooms of that time did make a big impression.
Until now, you can still see unknown weeds in the fields of the countryside, and although they look unremarkable, they actually have a lot of origins.
If you explore carefully, you can see them in Shennong's Materia Medica, one of the four classics of traditional Chinese medicine, which has high medicinal value.
Why, then, do people only pick the leaves of a weed, and is it because the leaves are tastier?
In fact, at that time, people were hungry with their chests and backs, and they didn't care whether it was delicious or not, mainly in order to allow the plants to continue to survive and leave hope for the future.
Otherwise, there would be no grass growing in this area, and the people would not be able to survive, because these weeds were one of the important sources of food for people at that time, and they were the hope of survival.
So much so that until now, although people's lives have been good, they still recall those unforgettable days.
They often go to sparsely populated fields to pick some wild grasses and treat them as a delicious delicacy, but few people know the precious and wonderful use of these "wild grasses".
Bitter manna
Take the wild plant that I want to talk about today, it was very common in the countryside in the past, and now with the development of society, it is rare to see it.
Some people may have eaten it, but few people know about its efficacy and do not know its preciousness.
It is the bitter hemp that will be mainly talked about today, in different regions, its name is different, it can also be called ququ sprouts, bitter koji, small bitter wheat vegetables, mushroom sister, bitter leaf seedlings and so on.
Bitter hemp is a plant of the Asteraceae family, and it is not difficult to see from its name that the taste is naturally bitter.
However, the bitterness of bitter hemp is the same as that of bitter melon, but the bitterness has some umami, which makes people have an endless aftertaste, which is why many people still like to eat it now.
The method of bitter hemp is actually quite simple, wash it with water, cut it into sections, put salt and mix well, squeeze out the water after about two minutes, and finally add oil to pour spicy seeds, vinegar, and sesame oil to eat.
The characteristics of its leaves are very similar to those of dandelions, and some family members mistake it for dandelions, but in fact, its value is no less than that of dandelions, so family members must not be mistaken.
It can be seen in all regions of the mainland, it is very widely distributed and has strong vitality, so in the past when food was scarce, bitter hemp did not know how many people's stomachs were filled and how many lives were saved.
However, the existence of bitter hemp not only solves the problem of people's hunger, it is more like a good medicine, a gift from nature.
However, society is constantly advancing, and many young people can't appreciate its wonderful use at all, so next, let's talk about "how to distinguish bitter hempstick".
What does it look like?
As a plant of the Asteraceae family, bitter hemp has a conical root, a straight body, and long leaves with serrated sharp corners.
As you can tell from its appearance, it is very prickly, grows very fast, and often grows in moist and soft soil.
If you have a careful observer, you will find that after spring ploughing, patches of bitter hemp will grow in the farmland.
What are its benefits for our body?
Bitter hemp is not only made into a delicacy, it also has strong medicinal properties.
While it is often eaten as a wild vegetable, it is also a kind of Chinese herbal medicine that has a lot of use, and there is a record of its efficacy in the "Compendium of Materia Medica".
First of all, the leaves of bitter hemp are rich in vitamin C and carotene, and friends who like to eat it can pick it in autumn, because the nutritional value of bitter hemp at that time is much higher than that of bitter hemp picked in spring and summer.
Its energy value can strengthen the body's immunity and resist the invasion of cold air.
Although the taste of bitter hemp is a little bitter, it has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting digestion, anti-poisoning, and has the miraculous effect of anti-tumor.
Due to its abundant nutrients, many residents living in cities now like to go out into the wild to pick some in their free time.
If you still know about the wonderful use of bitter hempstick, you can leave a message in the comment area to discuss.
After talking about bitter hemp, Xiaobian will take you to understand the dandelion that is very similar to the characteristics of bitter hemp, although its medicinal value is not as high as that of bitter hemp, but it is also a medicinal and edible plant, with infinite use.
Dandelions are full of treasures, you know?
Dandelion, like bitter hemp, is a commonly used medicinal and edible plant in the folk, and has a similar effect to bitter hemp, that is, clearing heat and detoxifying.
In addition, dandelion also has many effects such as dredging and dispersing knots, treating sores and reducing swelling, and in ancient times, it has the title of "small cordyceps", which can be seen from here The medicinal value of dandelion is good.
Dandelion differs in characteristics from bitter hemp in that the leaf shape of dandelion is obovate. On the other hand, the leaves of bitter hemp are all large and pinnate, deeply lobed.
However, it is worth mentioning that in addition to the wonderful use of dandelion in relieving wind, heat and colds and relieving the throat, there are several taboos to keep in mind.
There is an old saying that medicine is poisonous.
Although dandelion soaking in water has many benefits, it still has certain side effects as a Chinese herbal medicine, and we can only have benefits to our body if we take it reasonably, so we must remember not to drink indiscriminately and not drink too much.
For example, if you mix some spicy foods such as chili peppers and ginger with cold ingredients such as lotus seed hearts, it will cause some damage to the stomach and intestines.
Author's point of view
Whether it is bitter hemp or some other medicinal and edible plants, it must be taken scientifically. However, Qinghai's practice of bitter hemp is really delicious, wash it and blanch it with boiling water, take it out with cold water, squeeze out the water and chop it, add meat, make dumpling filling, every time I think about it, I can't stop drooling.
Information sources:
[1] Chinese Dietary Therapy Materia Medica, Guangdong Higher Education Press, 1999.09, p. 78
[2] Wu Weigang, Shen Fengying, Hou Yong, Zhang Mingzhu.Botanical research of long-split endives and endives[J].Seeds,2019,(No.3): 57-58
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