Source: Popular Science China
Lead
Crystal ice cabbage, can be regarded as a relatively niche vegetable, it has a unique charm, the leaves are covered with "Xiaoice crystal", in recent years gradually entered the public's field of vision, become the new favorite on the table. I bet a lot of people have never seen ice cabbage, let alone eaten it.
In this article, we will explore the nutritional value of ice cabbage, and then tell you how to eat it.
What is Ice Cabbage?
Ice cabbage, also known as ice leaf sunflower, also called ice flower, African ice grass, is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Apricot family, there are a large number of large vesicular cells on the leaves and stems, which are filled with liquid, look like shiny water droplets, and under the sun, the reflected light is like ice crystals, so it is called ice cabbage.
Ice cabbage is native to arid areas such as the Namibi Desert in South Africa, so it has the characteristics of cold tolerance, drought tolerance and salinity tolerance, and can grow in high-salt soil and beach edges, even in the cold zone of -45 °C in winter.
Ice cabbage can improve land salinization (land salinization can reduce the ability of plants to absorb water, resulting in inhibition of plant growth and severe plant death. ), which absorbs accumulated salts from the soil and reduces soil salinity after harvesting. This is because ice cabbage is a salt-secreting plant, and under saline-alkali conditions, the absorbed excess salt can be discharged into the ice crystal-like vacuole through the salt glands densely covered on the surface of the stem and leaves, thus forming a "small blister" visible to the naked eye, which looks like thin ice crystals.
Because of this characteristic, ice cabbage has a very unique taste. If you grab a handful of ice cabbage and put it in your mouth and chew it, the texture is quite refreshing and tender, as if the ice cabbage has melted in your mouth, and there is a faint salty taste.
What is the nutrition of ice cabbage?
Because ice cabbage is relatively rare, it has become the "aristocracy" of vegetables, and the price is relatively high, generally as high as about 20 yuan per catty. Although it is not common on the daily table, the nutritional value is still relatively high, rich in natural plant salts, amino acids, carotene, flavonoids, inositol, pine alcohol and other substances, itself has a light salty taste, the moisture content is as high as 95%, it is refreshing to eat and quench thirst and replenish nutrition.
1
Higher in vitamin C:
The vitamin C content of ice cabbage is 20.8 mg/100 g, which is higher than the lettuce, small rape, and lettuce we often eat, and is 2~10 times that of them. The key is that it can be eaten raw, and vitamin C is better retained.
2
Supplement with β carotene
Ice cabbage contains β-carotene, which is not abundant, but it is a bit higher than the oilseed lettuce we commonly eat. This ingredient is not only good for our eye health, but also for maintaining healthy skin.
3
Rich in potassium and magnesium, sodium is not low
The potassium and magnesium content of ice cabbage is excellent among vegetables, with a potassium content of 1825 mg/100 g, which is 7 times that of bananas. The magnesium content is as high as 137 mg/100 g, which is higher than bok choy, spinach, amaranth, lettuce, lettuce, lettuce, etc.
This means that eating 100 grams of ice cabbage can meet 91% of the general population's daily potassium needs and 42% of magnesium needs. Adequate potassium and magnesium intake can help control blood pressure and maintain cardiovascular health.
However, ice cabbage can absorb the salt accumulated in the soil during the growth process, and the sodium content is naturally not low, as high as 2965 mg/100 grams, which is equivalent to nearly 7 grams of sodium salt per 100 grams of ice cabbage. The sodium content of common leafy greens generally does not exceed 100 mg/100 g. Although it is mentioned in some literatures that the salt in ice cabbage is low-sodium salt, low-sodium salt is beneficial for patients with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. But it is still necessary to remind everyone that people who usually have high blood pressure should still pay attention, you can try to eat, and don't eat other salty foods if there are ice vegetables in the meal.
There have also been researchers who use ice cabbage to make sports drinks, which are based on the natural high sodium and potassium content, and can supplement the electrolytes needed by the body without adding additional potassium salts and sodium salts.
4
Good calcium content
When it comes to calcium supplementation, the most common thing we think of is to drink more milk, in fact, in terms of calcium supplementation, the intake of green leafy vegetables cannot be ignored.
They contain vitamin K, which is good for bones, and although the calcium content is not as good as that of milk, many green leafy vegetables have a decent calcium content. For example, the calcium content of rape, wolfberry leaves, kale, cabbage, beet leaves, and green radish tassels is more than 100 mg/100 grams, which is higher than that of ordinary milk, while the calcium content of ice cabbage is higher, at 288 mg/100 grams, which is 2.5 times that of baby cabbage.
5
Higher iron content
Plant-based foods don't absorb as much iron as animal foods, usually no more than 5%, but vegetables with higher iron levels can be helpful in supplementing iron.
Ice cabbage has a good iron content, which is richer than spinach with high iron content in everyone's mind, at 17.6 mg/100 grams, which is 6 times that of spinach, and it is rich in vitamin C to promote iron absorption and utilization.
6
Excellent zinc content
Zinc deficiency in the body may lead to picky eating, pica, affect brain function, affect wound healing, affect male fertility, make people susceptible to respiratory infections, induce ADHD, hair loss, rough skin, etc.
The zinc content of ice cabbage is very high, 33.9 mg/100 g, which is 30 or even 60 times that of ordinary vegetables, and the zinc content of celery leaves, long cowpeas, small rape, and coriander that we usually eat is only 1.14 mg/100 g, 0.94 mg/100 g, 0.87 mg/100 g, and 0.35 mg/100 g.
The daily zinc needs of healthy adults in mainland China are 12 mg/day for men and 8.5 mg/day for women, respectively, and can be met by just 50 grams of ice cabbage.
7
Rich in flavonoids
The main ingredient of ice cabbage flavonoids is quercetin, which can help us remove excess free radicals in the body, play an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory role, improve the state of the body, improve immune function, delay aging, protect cardiovascular health, and inhibit tumor growth.
In addition, ice cabbage contains 16 amino acids, with the highest glutamate content, so it has a strong umami flavor and is also delicious when eaten raw.
How do you eat ice cabbage?
Ice cabbage can be washed and eaten raw, stir-fried or made into soups, and is often used as a side dish for various dishes, such as Japanese and French cuisine, and is a high-end ingredient in Western cuisine at the hotel.
Among them, eating raw can maximize the retention of the nutrients of ice cabbage, and the taste is good, tender and juicy and cool, with a slight sour taste and a light salty taste, and it can also maintain its unique appearance with "ice crystals", which looks very appetizing; If you don't like to eat it directly, you can also use cold dressing, dipping sauce, stir-frying, boiling soup, etc.
summary
Ice cabbage is a vegetable that "speaks for itself", with a crisp and refreshing taste and thirst-quenching taste. It's best to buy less at once and eat it as soon as possible, first, because it's not cheap; The second is because it is not resistant to storage. Generally, it can be stored for 5~7 days under 0~5°C refrigeration conditions.
bibliography
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[4] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table, 6th Edition, Volume 1[M].Peking University Medical Press,2018
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Planning and production
Author丨Xue Qingxin is a registered dietitian
Audit丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center
Planning丨Fu Sijia
Editor丨Fu Sijia
Reviewer丨Xu Lai, Lin Lin
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