Is snow mustard the same as potherb mustard? One article explains the differences and connections between the two

Snow mustard is a vegetable we often see in supermarkets, and it is not cheap there. And potherb mustard is also a vegetable we often hear about and eat, especially in northern regions, where in autumn and winter the leaves of this vegetable turn purplish-red, hence the name “potherb mustard”. So are these two vegetables the same variety? Or are they two different vegetables?

1. Snow mustard and potherb mustard

Snow mustard and potherb mustard are indeed one vegetable, just with different names; it is a variety of leaf mustard within the mustard family of vegetables. The stems and leaves are ordinary vegetables, usually eaten pickled. The reason potherb mustard is called snow mustard is that in southern China, the purplish-red “potherb mustard” is rarely seen, and at the same time, for the sake of a nicer-sounding name in the vegetable market, potherb mustard came to be called snow mustard.

Potherb mustard is an annual herbaceous plant, a variety of mustard, and it has a very long history of being eaten in our country. “Su Shi Shuo Lue” records: “Stir-fried potherb mustard with lily, forming a snow-like congealing, cut into very small dice, stir-fried with sesame oil, then add cleaned lily and stir-fry together, add a little water, so that it becomes soft and delicious and ready to eat, then take it off the heat; this dish uses salt and no soy sauce.” In addition, potherb mustard can also be used medicinally. “Ben Cao Jing Shu” records: “Its ability to free the nine orifices and brighten the ears and eyes is because it is pungent, dispersing and running through, clearing phlegm and drawing out saliva; used temporarily for a time, it causes the pathogen to leave and the healthy qi to recover on its own; it is not said to truly free the orifices and brighten the ears and eyes, and users should examine this carefully.”

2. Main ways to prepare potherb mustard

Potherb mustard is very delicious to eat. Common methods include plain stir-fried potherb mustard and stir-fried potherb mustard with shredded pork, and here we will briefly introduce the main ways to prepare potherb mustard.

The main ingredients for plain stir-fried potherb mustard are 500 grams of pickled potherb mustard and 30 grams of minced garlic. After washing the potherb mustard, wring out the water and cut it finely for later use. Then heat the wok, add an appropriate amount of rapeseed oil, and when it is 70 percent hot, add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the potherb mustard and stir-fry. After the fragrance comes out, add a little fresh stock, and once the liquid is gone, put it on a plate and it is ready to eat.

The main ingredients for shredded pork with potherb mustard are 300 grams of pickled potherb mustard and 100 grams each of pork and small winter bamboo shoots. The method is to first wash the potherb mustard and cut it into shreds, put it in a wok and stir-fry until the water is gone, then plate it for later use; cut the pork into fine shreds and the winter bamboo shoots into dice. After heating the wok, add rapeseed oil, and when the oil is 50 percent hot, add the shredded pork and stir-fry until the raw taste is gone, then add the small bamboo shoot dice and stir-fry several times. Add the potherb mustard and stir-fry together, adding fresh stock as appropriate, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then put it on a plate and it is ready to eat.

The above is the relationship and difference between potherb mustard and snow mustard. Regularly eating potherb mustard can also treat sores, carbuncles, swelling and pain, chest congestion and fullness, and many other conditions. Friends who are interested can buy some and give it a try.