When it comes to "treasures in the water", many people's first reaction is lotus root, Gorgon fruit , and their health-preserving effects are also well known. However, today we are not going to talk about them, but to introduce to you two different "water treasures", which are also one of the "Eight Immortals in the Water". Okay, let’s not get too carried away, they are—
“health-preserving fruit”— water chestnut water chestnut, also known as waist water chestnut , water chestnut , water chestnut fruit, sweet in taste, which can strengthen the spleen and stomach without damaging the yin. Therefore, it is also regarded as a "health-preserving fruit". The skin of water chestnut is crispy and the meat is delicious. It has a fragrant taste. It can be eaten as a fruit raw, steamed and boiled, peeled and eaten, or made into porridge. In an era when food was scarce, water chestnuts were a good treasure, which could not only satisfy cravings but also fill the stomach.
Although water chestnuts are dark and inconspicuous, their medicinal and dietary value cannot be underestimated. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", "water chestnut is sweet and flat in nature, and can relieve heat and accumulated food and quench thirst." Regular consumption of water chestnut can also replenish the spleen and replenish qi, and can be eaten regularly by the elderly and children. Next, I will introduce to you several ways to eat water chestnuts -
Edible article: The effect of eating them raw and cooked is very different
①Eating raw: clearing heat and relieving fever
The skin of many water chestnuts is dark green, while red water chestnut Among them, it is particularly conspicuous, from the petiole to the epidermis, it is bright red.
The best way to eat red water chestnuts is to eat them raw. Gently peel off the thin shell to reveal the plump white meat, and take a bite of it, which is crispy and sweet. Summer heat is severe, and eating red water chestnut raw can best relieve heat and relieve heat.
However, it should be noted that raw water chestnuts are relatively cold in nature. Eating too much can easily damage the spleen and stomach, causing diarrhea and other gastrointestinal discomforts. Therefore, people with diarrhea or those with spleen and stomach deficiency are not recommended to eat raw water chestnuts.
In addition, raw water chestnuts may be adsorbed by parasites called Fasciae ginger. If you use your teeth to gnaw off the skin of water chestnuts, the larvae of Fasciae ginger will be eaten into the intestines and cause illness.
Therefore, it is recommended that when eating raw water chestnuts, you should not chew the skin with your teeth. After thorough cleaning, it is best to scald in boiling water for a few minutes or dry in the sun for a day before eating.
No matter how delicious raw water chestnuts are, they are not worth sacrificing your health. Of course, the best solution to avoid getting caught by parasites is to cook them and eat them!
② Boil and eat: replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen
As soon as July comes, , Wuling, and Datouling are competing to be on the market. This type of water chestnut skin is thicker and has a high starch content, making it especially suitable for cooking. The cooked water chestnuts taste soft and waxy, and are as sweet as sugar-roasted chestnuts, worthy of the name "water chestnut". Used to stew tofu and stir-fry meat. The water chestnuts are rich in meat flavor. One bite is really delicious! More importantly, cooked water chestnuts can strengthen the spleen and stomach, nourish the body and replenish qi . The ancients believed that eating more water chestnuts can nourish the five internal organs and eliminate all diseases.
The simplest way to eat water chestnuts is to boil them in salt water: Method: After washing the water chestnuts, add salt and soak them for half an hour, then boil them in salt water for about 40 minutes. Boiled water chestnuts are much easier to peel. Eat 2 to 4 capsules a day as a natural spleen-strengthening snack, suitable for the whole family.
Selection: How to distinguish fresh water chestnuts from old water chestnuts?
Hand pinching method: Those that can be pinched with nails are young water chestnuts, and those that cannot be pinched are old water chestnuts. Water floating method: Pour the water chestnuts into the water. The ones that float on the water are the young water chestnuts, and the ones that sink under the water are the old water chestnuts. However, it should be noted that if water chestnuts smell like water, it means they have gone bad and should not be purchased for consumption.
"Underground Sydney": water chestnuts
water chestnuts, which is what we usually call horseshoe . Water chestnuts have purple-black skin, white flesh, sweet and juicy texture, and are known as "underground snow pears". They are another choice for cooling off in summer. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that water chestnuts are sweet in taste and slightly cold in nature. They enter the three meridians of the heart, liver and lungs. They have the effects of clearing the lungs and soothing the throat, resolving dampness and eliminating phlegm. They have certain effects on throat discomfort, dry mouth and desire to drink. Modern research believes that water chestnut pulp contains a heat-labile antibacterial substance - water chestnut, which has varying degrees of antibacterial effects on Staphylococcus aureus , Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , etc.
Edible article: 3 ways to eat water chestnuts
① Men eat: To reduce the heat In summer, many men like to go to supper stalls to eat barbecue and braised meat. However, eating too much meat can easily cause internal heat or indigestion. . At this time, you might as well make a cup of water chestnut tea, which can not only clear away heat and resolve phlegm, stimulate appetite and digestion, facilitate urination, but also relieve greasy meat. Health recommendation: How to make moistening water chestnut tea: Take 5 grams of green tea and 150 grams of water chestnuts. Peel the water chestnuts and squeeze the juice for later use. Add the brewed green tea to the water chestnut juice, mix well and drink. However, it should be noted that water chestnuts grow in mud for a long time and are easily infected with Fasciolopsis ginger, so it is better to eat them cooked.
② Women eat: Nourish the stomach. The weather is hot, and people tend not to think about eating. At this time, many female friends like to eat some pickled fish , spicy hot pot etc. to stimulate their appetite. However, eating too much greasy and spicy food can easily turn into fire and heat in the stomach, causing stomach fire . Generally speaking, people with stomach fire often present with bad breath, dry mouth, swollen and painful gums, epigastric burning, abdominal pain, constipation, etc. At this time, you might as well drink a cup of and , which has the functions of nourishing yin, clearing away heat, and promoting body fluid production. It is suitable for symptoms such as stomach fire, fever, thirst, dry throat and mouth.
Health recommendation: Five juice dietary ingredients: one big pear, one sugar cane, 20 water chestnuts, one big radish, 260 grams of fresh reed root. Method: Cut large pear, sugar cane, water chestnut, radish, and fresh reed root into pieces and segments. After squeezing the juice, heat and boil for 3 minutes. Add a small amount of sugar, then put it in the refrigerator and drink at any time.
③Eat for the elderly and children: for digestion and greasiness. Water chestnuts are "big starch consumers". They can be used as part of the staple food, or they can be made into water chestnut powder . Grind the fresh water chestnuts into a pulp, filter it with a cloth to remove the residue, and the resulting slurry is precipitated and dried to become water chestnut powder, also called water chestnut powder.
Cantonese classic dim sum - Water chestnut cake , is made of water chestnut powder. If you have eaten too much fish on a hot day, why not try a piece of smooth and sweet water chestnut cake to get rid of the greasy and full feeling, especially suitable for the elderly and children. Health recommendation: How to make water chestnut cake: Mix appropriate amount of water chestnut powder with water, stir with boiling sugar water to form a thick slurry, add diced water chestnuts, steam until cooked and let cool.
The pictures accompanying this article are all from Yitu.com.
(daily push for health)
