Can Hawthorn Be Eaten Raw? Things to Know About Eating Hawthorn Raw
Hawthorn is one of the ingredients of tanghulu (candied haws on a stick), and it can also be made into all kinds of foods, so can hawthorn be eaten raw?
1. The growth habits of hawthorn
Hawthorn is a plant of the genus Crataegus in the rose family (Rosaceae), and its main distribution areas are Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Hebei and so on.
Hawthorn has strong adaptability and likes a cool, moist environment; it is both cold-resistant and heat-resistant, and can grow at temperatures between -36 and 43°C. It likes light and can also tolerate shade. It is generally found on barren hills and bare ridges, sunny slopes, semi-sunny slopes and valleys, with a slope of 15 to 25 degrees being preferable. It is drought-tolerant, and when there is too much water the branches and leaves tend to grow leggy. It is not strict about soil, but it grows well in deep, fertile, loose, well-drained, slightly acidic sandy loam.
2. Can hawthorn be eaten raw?
Hawthorn can be eaten raw; it is a fruit of the genus Crataegus in the rose family (Rosaceae), but those with poor digestion had best not eat much of it, so as to avoid causing digestive problems.
Hawthorn tastes sour, and it becomes even more sour after being heated. After eating it you should brush your teeth right away, otherwise it is bad for dental health. Hawthorn should not be eaten on an empty stomach; eating it on an empty stomach will make stomach acid surge, cause adverse irritation to the gastric mucosa, and make the stomach feel bloated and cause acid reflux. If eaten on an empty stomach, it will increase hunger and aggravate existing stomach pain.
3. Classification of hawthorn
1. Sour-tasting hawthorn
There are several varieties, including Waibahong, Dajinxing Damianqiu and common hawthorn. Among them, Waibahong has a slight bulge at the fruit stalk, which looks like a crooked stalk, hence the name; its single fruit is larger than normal hawthorn, and it is mainly used as the ingredient for the candied haws on a stick sold on the market.
2. Sweet-tasting hawthorn
The outside is pink, the fruit is rather small, the surface is smooth, and it tastes slightly sweet.