Is water spinach the same as ong choy? Understanding the relationship between the two in one article

Water spinach is a vegetable we commonly eat in our daily life. It is an alkaline plant, rich in elements such as potassium and chlorine that regulate water balance in the body, and it has a very good effect on human intestinal activity. But there is also a vegetable on the market that looks very much like water spinach, called ong choy, so is ong choy the same as water spinach?

1. Is ong choy the same as water spinach

Ong choy is actually water spinach. The scientific name of water spinach is Ipomoea aquatica, a plant in the genus Ipomoea, section Calonyction. This vegetable has different names in different provinces: Guangxi, Guizhou and other provinces call it water spinach, Fujian calls it ong choy weng or weng cai, Jiangsu and Sichuan call it teng teng cai, and Guangdong calls it ong choy. There is also a vegetable on the market called xue tong cai (blood ong choy), which is a herbaceous plant of the subtropics and a wild vegetable growing on Hainan Island; the two are not the same thing.

Water spinach is native to Southeast Asia and is now widely cultivated as a vegetable, or sometimes also found in a wild state. Its distribution covers tropical Asia, Africa and Oceania, and today it is widely cultivated in the central and southern parts of our country. This vegetable has relatively high climate requirements and is best grown in warm, humid climates and fertile, moist soil. In the Yangtze River basin, April to October is its growing season.

2. How to cook water spinach

The common way to cook water spinach is stir-fried water spinach. Its taste is very refreshing and it can cut through greasiness, so here is a brief introduction to how it is made. First prepare water spinach and garlic, remove the old roots and stems and yellow leaves from the water spinach and wash it, cut it into one-inch lengths, and slice the garlic. Then put olive oil in a wok, add the garlic slices to hot oil in a cold wok and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the water spinach stems and stir-fry over high heat until they change color, stir-fry until the water spinach is just cooked, add oyster sauce and stir well, then it is ready to serve. It can be said that anyone who has ever been in a kitchen can make this dish.

Water spinach is cool in nature, and its juice has an inhibitory effect on Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus and others, and can prevent infection. Therefore, if eaten often in summer, it can prevent heatstroke and relieve fever, cool the blood and remove toxins, and prevent and treat dysentery. Moreover, the protein content in the tender shoots of water spinach is 4 times higher than that of an equal amount of tomatoes, and its calcium content is more than 12 times higher than that of tomatoes, and it also contains relatively much carotene, making it an excellent dish to eat in summer.

The above is some relevant knowledge about water spinach. Friends living in the north may not be able to enjoy this delicious dish. However, transportation is so developed nowadays that with a careful search, it is still possible to find it.