Are Shepherd's Purse and Ji Cai the Same Vegetable? A Detailed Explanation of Their Relationship
Ji Cai is a wild plant that grows a vivid green, with white fibrous roots and tiny scattered small white flowers, and it has rich medicinal value. So, are Ji Cai and shepherd's purse the same thing?
1. Are Ji Cai and shepherd's purse the same thing?
Ji Cai and shepherd's purse are the same plant, only the names differ; Ji Cai is the scientific name, and shepherd's purse is an alternative name.
2. How to Eat Ji Cai
1. Cold salad
Blanch Ji Cai and julienned carrot briefly in boiling water, and soak sweet potato starch noodles in boiling water until soft. Add salt, vinegar, crushed garlic, sesame oil, chili oil or Sichuan peppercorn oil.
2. Plain stir-fry
Blanch the Ji Cai (whole) briefly in boiling water, drain well, then stir-fry in oil. It can also be stir-fried together with other vegetables or meat.
3. Pan-fried pancakes
Chop Ji Cai and scallions, beat raw eggs, add ground meat, clean water, flour and a small amount of salt, mix well, and once the oil is hot, fry them; they are ready when both sides are golden brown.
4. Making dumplings, wontons or steamed buns
First blanch the whole Ji Cai briefly in boiling water, squeeze out the water (do not pour this water away; once cooled it is best for kneading dough, or for cooking dumplings and wontons), chop it, add a small amount of salt (if eating vegetarian, also add sesame oil and thirteen-spice powder) and mix well with the ground meat.
5. Eating raw
Choose tender, fresh ones, dip them in seasoning or soybean paste and roll them in a large flatbread to eat; they are also very good eaten with rice.
6. Deep-frying
Similar to making pan-fried pancakes, except shape them into rounds and drop them into hot oil, frying until golden brown.
3. The Medicinal Value of Ji Cai
Ji Cai is sweet and neutral in nature and flavor, and has the effects of harmonizing the spleen, promoting diuresis, stopping bleeding and improving eyesight. It is used to treat dysentery, edema, gonorrhea, chyluria, hematemesis, hemafecia, metrorrhagia, menorrhagia, red swollen painful eyes and so on. “Mingyi Bielu” records “it mainly regulates liver qi and harmonizes the middle.” “Riyong Bencao” records “it cools the liver and improves eyesight.” “Bencao Gangmu” records “it improves eyesight and benefits the stomach.