In the vast land, there is a magical plant that enjoys the reputation of "vegetable fish", which has won people's love and favor with its unique medicinal value and nutritional value.
This plant is the protagonist of our graphic text today - purslane. It is not only known as "longevity dish" and "longevity dish", but also known as "five elements of vegetables" and "immortal grass", and has the reputation of "fish of vegetables".
Picture 01~02): Artificially cultivated purslane
So, why does purslane have these names? Let's explore the story behind purslane.
In this issue of pictures and texts, Qingjiang Crane will continue to pay attention to and chat with all of you and teachers about wild weeds, purslane for both medicine and food, I hope you like and actively participate in the interaction, forward and share this issue of pictures and texts.
Purslane is known as "longevity vegetable" and "longevity vegetable" in folklore:
Known as the "longevity vegetable" and "longevity vegetable", purslane is inseparable from its unique nutritional value and medicinal value.
First of all, purslane is rich in nutrients. Such as proteins, vitamins (containing vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2), fatty acids, minerals, polysaccharides, terpenoids, etc., these nutrients are essential for human health.
Picture 03~04): purslane stems and leaves
Secondly, purslane has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, stopping bleeding and stopping dysentery, and can effectively treat a variety of diseases, such as dysentery and enteritis. The medicinal value of purslane is recorded in the "Shennong's Materia Medica", "Materia Medica", "Compendium of Materia Medica" and other medicinal classics.
In ancient times, it was found that the consumption of purslane could nourish the body and prolong life, so it was called "longevity dish" and "longevity dish". This may be due to the unique health benefits of purslane.
Wang Pan said in "Wild Vegetable Recipe" that purslane "can be picked in summer, boiled in boiling soup, and exposed to dry winter food." Li Shizhen also said in his "Compendium of Materia Medica": "(Purslane) people often pick seedlings and cook them for vegetables." It seems that the ancients also favored this purslane, but they all cooked the purslane before eating, and did not see cold dressing. Purslane has been used in vegetables and medicine for a long time.
Picture 05~06): Purslane artificially and professionally grown
Why purslane is also known as the "Five Elements Dish":
In the "Materia Medica", in order to facilitate the identification and memory of the biological characteristics of purslane, people summarize "purslane" as follows: "(purslane) leaves green, red stems, yellow flowers, white roots, black seeds".
Based on the classic summary in "Materia Medica", purslane is called the "Five Elements Vegetables" because purslane has five key points in the Materia Medica for Saving Famine in terms of biological characteristics in appearance: leaf green, stem red, flower yellow, root white, and seed black. Moreover, the five colors correspond to the "five elements" of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
In traditional Chinese folk culture, the five elements are the basic elements that make up all things in the universe, and purslane happens to have these five colors, so it is called "five elements of cuisine". This also reflects the appreciation and love of the ancients for purslane.
Picture 07~08): Artificial professional planting of purslane
Why purslane is called "immortal" or "sun-burned" grass:
The original purslane "undead grass" has its roots in a legendary story.
Legend has it that in ancient times, there were 10 suns in the sky. Every time they come out together, the temperature on the earth rises dramatically, so that the various crops that people have worked so hard to grow on the surface are instantly scorched.
The common people are miserable, and there is no way to "deal with it". Later, there was a sharpshooter named Houyi. In order to live up to expectations, he shot 9 suns in the sky with a bow and arrow. When shooting the last sun, it hid under a purslane plant to avoid being shot.
In order to thank this purslane for its "life-saving grace", the sun god endowed purslane with the "miraculous ability" of resisting "hot exposure", so that purslane is not afraid of violent solar radiation.
Picture 09~10): Freshly harvested purslane
In fact, the real reason why purslane is not afraid of the sun is because its leaves are "very thick" and smooth, and the epidermis has a waxy layer, which can inhibit leaf transpiration and reduce the amount of water evaporation on the leaf surface. In addition, the water storage of purslane leaves is very large, and when purslane encounters extreme high temperatures, the stored water can "feed" the plants, so that the water required for the growth and development of above-ground plants will not lack and wilt and die. In this way, purslane survived a period of severe drought. That's why people call purslane a "sun-burning" weed.
In fact, the tenacious vitality of purslane is also manifested in its extremely strong reproductive ability. As long as there is a little bit of root that is not destroyed, it can take root and regenerate when it encounters soil.
For example, when hoeing, farmers will find that purslane often goes hand in hand with various weeds. The more weeds there are, the more robust the purslane will be.
Picture 11~12): Purslane with a very high appearance
When people hoe purslane weeds, they often dig it out of the mud and expose it to the sun, in order to prevent it from competing with the crops for glory and fertilizer and water, so that it will "lose water" and wither and die under the scorching solar radiation.
But what people didn't expect was that purslane could still take root after a heavy rain, grow some fresh young leaves, and the whole plant was "resurrected".
This tenacious vitality amazed people, so purslane was called "immortal grass" or "sun-dried" grass. In fact, it is a malignant weed in the field, and purslane can thrive in arid or barren land, providing food and medicine for people. This indomitable spirit is also worth learning from.
Picture 13~14): Purslane plants harvested for marketing
Why purslane is also known as the "fish of vegetables":
Purslane is known as the "fish of vegetables" because it contains an unsaturated fatty acid within its plastid that is usually found only in fish fat. And the content of this unsaturated fatty acid ranks first among green leafy vegetables.
In terms of medicinal efficacy, this unsaturated fatty acid can significantly improve human blood circulation, prevent cardiovascular disease and arteriosclerosis. Therefore, purslane is comparable to fish in terms of nutritional value and health benefits, and is known as the "fish of vegetables".
The story of purslane (longevity vegetable) in the eyes of literati and ink writers:
There are many stories of literati and artists related to purslane among the people.
Picture 15~16): Manual harvesting of purslane
Legend has it that in ancient times, in the summer and autumn of one year, there was a long drought and no rain in the northern countryside, and the epidemic was epidemic, and the people were hungry and sick. At this time, it was found that purslane was still growing luxuriantly on the side of the ridge road. So, people collected purslane to satisfy hunger and found that it could not only fill the stomach, but also treat diseases such as diarrhea. The good news spread quickly, and purslane became a lifesaver for the people. In order to thank purslane for saving its life, people "honorifically" call purslane "longevity vegetables" and "longevity vegetables". The purslane weed has changed from "grass" to "vegetable", which is one of the few Chinese herbal medicine materials.
The "longevity buns" mentioned by Su Dongpo in his "Healthy Diet" are steamed buns made with purslane and leeks stuffing.
Wang Zengqi also shared the scene of eating purslane buns in his "Grass and Trees in the World". The article said that his grandmother dried the fat purslane picked in the summer, and ate it as stuffed buns during the New Year, which was very fragrant when dipped in sesame oil.
Picture 17~18): Purslane plant in the wild
Li Yuzhang also said in his "Sweet and Sour Purslane" that he bought purslane "neatly": "A basket of green purslane, lying so vividly on the vegetable shelf of the agricultural market, seems to have a fate with me. I casually passed in front of it, and after one glance, I realized that this was not the purslane that I used to eat as a child?
However, because purslane implants are rich in oxalic acid, eating more or eating for a long time will make oxalic acid combine with calcium ions in the human body to form "calcium oxalate precipitate", which will then lead to human "kidney stones".
Picture 19~20): Purslane harvested in the wild
Words written at the end of "Fish of Vegetables":
In conclusion, purslane (fish of vegetables) has won people's love and respect for its unique nutritional and medicinal properties. It is not only a gift from nature, but also a treasure on earth. Let us cherish this gift from nature and let the miraculous benefits of purslane continue to benefit humanity.