What is the difference between cogongrass rhizome and houttuynia? A quick guide to telling the two apart

Cogongrass rhizome and houttuynia are both fairly common plants, and both are edible, so many friends from rural areas will be familiar with them. So do you know the difference between cogongrass rhizome and houttuynia?

1. The difference between cogongrass rhizome and houttuynia

1. Cogongrass root is also called cogongrass rhizome, and is also known as white cogongrass rhizome, cogongrass root, sweet grass root. Because it tastes fresh and sweet, I remember that as a child we often dug some up in the fields, washed them, and ate them as a snack. Its roots look very much like those of houttuynia, but its medicinal effect is greater. White cogongrass rhizome is the rhizome of the perennial herbaceous white cogongrass, a plant in the grass family. It is dug up in the two seasons of spring and autumn. Dried in the sun. The fibrous roots and membranous leaf sheaths are removed, and it is cut into sections for raw use or fried into charcoal for use. Other names: cogongrass rhizome, diguan, rugen, lan'gen. Main indications: cools the blood and stops bleeding, clears heat and removes toxin. Used for vomiting blood, blood in the urine, heat strangury, edema, jaundice, difficult urination, fever with restlessness and thirst, stomach heat with vomiting and retching, and cough.

2. Houttuynia, originally named jicai and also known as zhe'ergen, jie'ergen, called gou tie er in Hakka, belongs taxonomically to the dicotyledonous family Saururaceae, genus Houttuynia, and is a herbaceous plant with a fishy odor. The stem is flat-cylindrical, twisted, 20-35 cm long, 0.2-0.3 cm in diameter; the surface is brownish yellow, with several longitudinal ridges, distinct nodes, and remnant fibrous roots on the lower nodes; the texture is brittle and breaks easily.

2. How do you eat cogongrass rhizome?

1. Cogongrass rhizome and honeysuckle tea: take 40 g of fresh white cogongrass rhizome and about 20 g of honeysuckle. Use 1000 ml of water, put these two medicines into a pot and boil, discard the residue, then add 20 g of rock sugar. It has the effect of clearing heat and removing toxin, and can also soothe the throat. If you happen to catch viral influenza or acute or chronic tonsillitis, you can drink this tea, and the effect is very good.

2. Cogongrass rhizome and tree peony bark tea: take 30 g of fresh white cogongrass rhizome, then add 10 g of tree peony bark and 10 g of saposhnikovia root. Put them together into a pot, then add about 500 ml of water. Boil, and discard the residue. Take one dose every day, drinking it before breakfast and dinner respectively. It can clear heat and cool the blood. It can also strengthen the human body's resistance to viruses and prevent colds.

3. Cogongrass rhizome and lotus node tea: take 30 g of fresh white cogongrass rhizome, then add 15 g of lotus node. Put 500 ml of water into a pot. After boiling, discard the residue. It has the effect of clearing heat and cooling the blood. It also has a very good preventive and therapeutic effect on nosebleeds caused by excess internal heat.

3. How do you eat houttuynia?

1. Cold-dressed houttuynia: first remove the roots and fibrous parts of the houttuynia, wash them clean with water, soak them in cold water for about 10 minutes, and set aside. Then cut dried chili peppers into sections, fry them in slightly hot oil until crisp and fragrant, and pour them together with the oil into a bowl. Put the houttuynia into the bowl, add salt, soy sauce and Sichuan pepper, mix thoroughly, and it is ready.

2. Houttuynia scrambled with eggs: first remove the roots and fibrous parts of the houttuynia, wash them clean with water, and cut them into sections. At the same time, beat the eggs. After the oil in the pot is heated, add chopped scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the houttuynia and eggs and stir-fry. Once they form pieces, add an appropriate amount of water and salt, and it is ready once the eggs are fully cooked.