What is Taro? Is taro a pungent food?
Chinese and Southeast Asia commonly have a water vegetable called Chinese arrowhead. It thrives in regions with abundant water sources and higher temperatures, suitable for cultivation in plains. The growth of Chinese arrowhead requires high standards for water, fertilizer, and temperature; it is not suitable for all areas, so many people are unfamiliar with it. Today, I will introduce to you what Chinese arrowhead is.
What is Chinese arrowhead
What is Chinese arrowhead? To answer this question, we need to go back to ancient times.
The original Chinese arrowhead was called "Guzhu," which was cultivated as a grain crop. Its seeds were one of the famous "Six Grains" (rice, glutinous rice, broomcorn millet, sorghum, wheat, and Guzhu).
By the Tang Dynasty, Chinese arrowhead began to be widely planted. Infected plants with black powdery mildew no longer produced grains; instead, their stems swelled into spindle-shaped structures. The taste was rather intense, as these mutated Chinese arrowheads did not show any symptoms and had very tender and fibrous flesh.They were rich in protein content and gradually became a specialty vegetable of China, one of the "Three Famous Vegetables of Jiangnan." Nutritional value of Chinese arrowhead
Chinese arrowhead is highly nutritious, containing abundant proteins and vitamins; it is known as "underwater ginseng" by people.
Proteins, fats, carbohydrates
1Chinese arrowhead contains a large amount of nutrients, with the most abundant being carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
Eating more Chinese arrowhead in daily life can provide sufficient nutrition for the human body, maintaining normal bodily functions and ensuring health. The nutritional substances contained in Chinese arrowhead also have the effect of strengthening the body; moderate consumption can effectively enhance the body's resistance and immunity, helping to resist various diseases. Chinese arrowhead also contains large amounts of saponins. This substance helps the human body effectively remove free radicals from within the body and inhibit tyrosinase activity, preventing melanin production.
2Vitamins
Chinese arrowhead is rich in vitamins that help with alcohol metabolism; it can be used to alleviate hangovers.
3Organic nitrogen compounds
The tender Chinese arrowheads contain organic nitrogen in the form of amino acids and provide sulfur elements, making their taste delicious and rich in nutrition. They are easily absorbed by the human body.
4Calories
On average, 100 grams of edible parts of Chinese arrowhead have about 23 kilocalories; they do not have high calories and can be consumed moderately during weight loss.
5Dietary fiber
Chinese arrowhead is beneficial to the body due to its rich dietary fiber content. When does Chinese arrowhead come into season?
Only China and Vietnam cultivate Chinese arrowhead as a vegetable globally.
China has many varieties of Chinese arrowhead, mainly divided into single-season and double-season types. The main factors affecting when Chinese arrowhead comes into season are the variety and origin. Chinese arrowhead is a thermophilic plant; it grows best at temperatures between 10-25°C. It cannot withstand cold or extreme heat and drought.
Double-season Chinese arrowheads are more common in plain areas, as they have less strict requirements for day length but higher demands for water and fertilizer conditions. Temperature is a critical factor affecting its growth. Chinese arrowhead has well-developed root systems that require ample water; it grows best in deep, soft loamy soils rich in organic matter with strong water-retention properties. Chinese arrowhead can be harvested in two seasons: single-season and double-season varieties. In the Yangtze River Basin, single-season plants are planted from Qingming to Guyu, while double-season plants can be sown twice a year; spring planting occurs before Guyu, and autumn planting is around White Dew.
Chinese arrowhead's fruiting phase: Double-season types produce once in mid-June and again in late August to early September. Single-season types start producing in late August to early September at temperatures between 15-25°C; below 10°C or above 30°C, no production occurs. Chinese arrowhead cooking methods
With its tender texture and high protein content, Chinese arrowhead is a common ingredient in home cooking. A wide variety of Chinese arrowhead dishes can bring new flavors to simple food.
Jialang meat strips
Ingredients: Chinese arrowhead, green bell pepper, tofu cheese, pork loin, star anise, salt, chicken essence, sugar, egg white, starch Steps:(1) Marinate the pork loin in rice wine, salt, chicken essence, egg white, and starch for 15 minutes.(2) Slice the Chinese arrowhead, green bell pepper, and tofu cheese into strips.(3) Fry the marinated pork loin strips until they turn white, then remove them from the pan.(4) In a heated pot with oil, fry star anise to release its aroma.
1Then add the Chinese arrowhead, tofu cheese, green bell pepper, and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the meat strips, continue stirring, and season with salt, chicken essence, sugar, then add a little water starch to thicken before serving.
Arrowhead braised pork belly Ingredients: five-spice pork belly, Chinese arrowhead, ginger, garlic, star anise, cooking wine, light soy sauce, sugar, salt Steps:(1) Rinse and cut the pork belly into pieces. Boil in cold water for 2 minutes to remove impurities.(2) Clean and slice the Chinese arrowhead.(3) In a heated pan with oil until it's five-sixths hot, add ginger slices, garlic, star anise, stir-fry until fragrant.(4) Add the pork belly, cook until the meat turns pink and starts to release oil.(5) Pour in cooking wine and light soy sauce. Add enough boiling water to cover the meat; bring to a boil then simmer for about 1 hour.(6) Add the Chinese arrowhead, season with sugar and salt, and cook over high heat for another 20 minutes before serving.Arrowhead Stewed vegetable rice
Ingredients: rice, shiitake mushrooms, onion, Chinese arrowhead, green garlic, soy sauce, salt
(1) Rinse the rice;
Then cut the shiitake mushrooms, Chinese arrowhead, onion into small pieces, and slice the green garlic.(2) Heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the Chinese arrowhead, shiitake mushrooms, green garlic, and onion; stir-fry until fragrant.(3) Pour in the pre-rinsed rice and continue to stir-fry.
(4) Season with soy sauce and a small amount of salt. Stir well.
(5) Place everything into an electric rice cooker, add water according to normal cooking instructions, and cook until done.
2Oil-braised Chinese arrowhead Ingredients: Chinese arrowhead, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil
Steps:(1) Clean the Chinese arrowhead, peel off the outer skin, slice into chunks.(2) In a heated pan with oil over low heat, stir-fry the Chinese arrowhead until the skin wrinkles after about 30 seconds of covering and uncovering; continue stirring and repeating for 4-5 times to soften them.(3) Season with salt, light soy sauce, sugar, and a small amount of dark soy sauce. Cover and braise for another minute before serving with sesame oil. star anise, cooking wine, old soy sauce, sugar, salt
Step:
(1) rinse pork belly and cut into pieces, add to cold water in a pot, bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, then wash off foam;
(2) clean Chinese asparagus and slice it;
(3) heat pan with a little oil until it's about 50% hot, add ginger slices and scallion pieces, star anise, stir-fry until fragrant;
(4) add pork belly and stir-fry until meat turns color, slightly releasing fat;
(5) pour in cooking wine and old soy sauce, add boiling water to cover the meat, turn on high heat then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 1 hour;Stir-fry(6) add Chinese asparagus, season with sugar and a little salt, bring back to boil then lower heat and continue simmering for another 20 minutes before turning off.
(6) Add the Chinese arrowhead and add sugar and a little salt to season, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and continue cooking for 20 minutes.
3Chinese asparagus shiitake mushrooms steaming rice
ingredients:jasmine rice Shiitake mushrooms,onion Chinese arrowhead,green beans,soy sauce Salt
(1) rinse the rice and wash away the dirt;
(1) Rinse the rice;then cut shiitake mushrooms, Chinese asparagus, onions, and green beans into small pieces.
(2) add a bit of olive oil to the pan, heat until hot, add Chinese asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, green beans, and onion, stir-fry for a few times until fragrant.(3) pour in the rinsed rice, stir together briefly.(4) add soy sauce and a little salt to season.
(5) mix well then transfer into an electric pressure cooker, add water equivalent to usual cooking amount, taste the seasoning before pressing the cook button.
(4) Add soy sauce and a little salt to season.
Chinese steamed asparagus Stew ingredients: Chinese asparagus, soy sauce
4Braised Chinese Arrowhead
old soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil Soy Sauce(1) peel off the outer skin of the Chinese asparagus and cut into dice;
(2) heat a pan with oil on low heat, add Chinese asparagus, cover and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then flip and repeat this process 4-5 times until the asparagus is tender and slightly wrinkled.
(3) season with an appropriate amount of salt, a little soy sauce, sugar, a small amount of old soy sauce, mix well and cover to simmer for another minute before adding sesame oil and stir-fry, then serve.
(2) Heat the wok, add oil and reduce heat. Stir-fry the Chinese arrowhead, cover and steam for about 30 seconds, stir-fry again, repeat 4-5 times until the Chinese arrowhead is tender and its skin wrinkles;
(3) Add an appropriate amount of salt, a little soy sauce, sugar, and a small amount of old soy sauce, stir-fry evenly, cover and steam for about 1 minute to color and flavor, drizzle with sesame oil, stir-fry and serve.
