What are the benefits and effects of Chinese toon? A detailed guide to eating and growing it

The Chinese toon tree is tall and is a preferred tree species for landscaping. The toon buds are rich in nutrients and have medicinal food value, so what are the benefits and effects of Chinese toon? How do you eat it? How do you grow it?

I. Benefits and effects of Chinese toon

1. Basic introduction to Chinese toon

Chinese toon is native to China and is distributed across a wide area north and south of the Yangtze River. It belongs to the Meliaceae family and is a deciduous tree with separate male and female plants. Its leaves are even-pinnately compound, its inflorescences are panicles, its bisexual flowers are white, and its fruit is an oval capsule with winged seeds that can be used for propagation. The tree is tall, and besides providing toon buds for eating, it is also a preferred tree species for landscaping. The toon buds are rich in nutrients and have medicinal food value, chiefly used for externally contracted wind-cold, rheumatic arthralgia, stomach pain, dysentery, and the like.

2. Benefits and effects of Chinese toon

Cool in nature, bitter and neutral in flavor; it enters the lung, stomach, and large intestine meridians. It clears heat and detoxifies, strengthens the stomach and regulates qi, moistens the skin and brightens the eyes, and kills parasites. It is chiefly used for sores and ulcers, hair loss, red eyes, cough due to lung heat, and other conditions.

(1) Appetizing and strengthening the spleen

Chinese toon is a famous seasonal delicacy. It contains volatile aromatic organic compounds such as toonin, which can strengthen the spleen, stimulate the appetite, and increase food intake.

(2) Anti-aging and beauty benefits

It contains vitamin E and hormone-like substances, and has anti-aging and yang-tonifying, yin-nourishing effects, which is why it has the laudatory name of “pregnancy-promoting factor.” It also has a very good skin-smoothing effect, making it a good food for health care and beauty.

(3) Clearing heat and draining dampness

Chinese toon has the effects of clearing heat, draining dampness, promoting urination, and detoxifying, and is a good auxiliary treatment for enteritis, dysentery, and urinary tract infections. Hence the folk saying, “Eat toon buds often and you will not fall ill.”

(4) Expelling parasites and treating ringworm

Chinese toon has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and parasite-killing effects, and can be used to treat ascariasis, sores and ringworm, scabies, and other diseases.

(5) Astringing blood, stopping dysentery, and stopping uterine bleeding

Chinese toon can dry dampness and clear heat, astringe and stabilize, and can be used for chronic diarrhea and chronic dysentery, intestinal hemorrhoids with blood in the stool, abnormal uterine bleeding, and excessive vaginal discharge.

3. Nutritional value of Chinese toon

The tender leaves of Chinese toon are rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamin B, vitamin C, carotene, and large amounts of volatile oils and minerals such as phosphorus and iron, making the various nutrients relatively comprehensive and balanced.

4. Selecting Chinese toon

When selecting Chinese toon: choose the kind that is emerald green, fragrant, and not rotting.

5. Storing Chinese toon

Chinese toon should be kept away from water and not exposed to the scorching sun. Placed in a cool, ventilated spot, it can be stored for 1-2 days.

II. How to eat Chinese toon

Chinese toon contains nitrates and nitrites at levels far higher than ordinary vegetables; and because its protein content is higher than that of ordinary vegetables, there is also a risk of forming the carcinogen nitrosamine, so eating Chinese toon carries safety concerns. So how can you eat Chinese toon safely and nutritiously? You may as well follow these principles:

1. Choose the most tender toon buds.

Research has found that the nitrate and nitrite contents of Chinese toon vary by region, variety, and growth stage. Most importantly, the nitrate content is relatively low in the early sprouting stage, and as the toon buds keep growing, their nitrate content also rises. After mid-April, the nitrate content in toon buds in most areas exceeds the standards of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. In other words, the more tender the toon buds, the less nitrate they contain, and therefore the less nitrite will be produced during later storage.

2. Choose the freshest toon buds.

Measurements also show that after mid-April, although the nitrate content in toon buds rises, the nitrite content remains relatively low. So if you eat fresh toon buds, it still will not cause nitrite poisoning. However, after harvesting, during storage at room temperature, large amounts of nitrate are converted into nitrite, creating safety concerns. This is exactly why toon buds are said to have high nitrite content.

In other words, toon buds freshly picked from the tree and eaten immediately are safe, whereas toon buds bought from the market have already gone through transport, so their nitrite content rises substantially. If it has reached the point where the leaves fall off at a touch, large amounts of nitrite will inevitably be produced.

3. Blanch to remove nitrate and nitrite

If the toon buds are no longer fresh but still fragrant, and it seems a pity to throw them away, then you may as well blanch them. Blanching in boiling water for about 1 minute can remove more than two-thirds of the nitrite and nitrate, while also better preserving the green color of the Chinese toon. Whether you are making a cold salad, stir-frying, or frying toon fish, it is worth blanching first, which can greatly improve the safety of eating Chinese toon. Since the aroma components of Chinese toon mainly come from essential oils, which are water-insoluble components, blanching will not noticeably affect the flavor of the dish.

4. Blanch before quick-freezing too

Chinese toon is a seasonal vegetable, and many people like to freeze and store it to eat year-round. However, Chinese toon should also be blanched before quick-freezing. Research data show that after blanching for 50 seconds and then freezing, not only is safety greatly improved, but vitamin C is also better preserved. After 2 months of frozen storage, the vitamin C content of blanched Chinese toon is equivalent to 71% of the fresh product, while unblanched toon has only 35%. At the same time, whether in color or flavor, the blanched-then-frozen version is more ideal. After blanching, put it in a sealed plastic bag and place it in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator, where it can be stored for more than 1 month while maintaining its tender green color and aromatic character.

5. Do not pickle toon buds for too long.. Many people like to salt Chinese toon for two or three days before eating it, and this is a very unsafe habit. After Chinese toon is pickled, its nitrite content rises rapidly, peaking at three or four days (when the amount of added salt is 10%-20%), far exceeding the permitted standard. Pickling after blanching can greatly reduce the nitrate content and thus lower the risk of pickled Chinese toon, but the safest approach is still to pickle the blanched Chinese toon for a week until the nitrite content decreases before eating it. Adding ingredients such as vitamin C and tea leaves can reduce the nitrite content during pickling.

6. Eat Chinese toon together with foods rich in vitamin C.Chinese toon itself has a higher vitamin C content than ordinary vegetables and fruits. If you can eat fresh Chinese toon, vitamin C can help block the formation of the carcinogen nitrosamine. If the Chinese toon is no longer fresh, then you may as well eat it together with other fresh vegetables and fruits to avoid the hidden dangers of nitrite as much as possible. Research has shown that when the molar ratio of vitamin C to nitrite is 2:1, the synthesis of the carcinogen nitrosamine can be effectively blocked.

In summary, tender buds, eating fresh, blanching, and slow pickling can ensure the safety of eating Chinese toon.

III. Cultivation techniques for Chinese toon

1. Complete dormancy quickly.After the Chinese toon leaves fall in late October, lift the seedlings in time. When lifting, keep more lateral roots, with the main root no less than 40 cm and the lateral roots no less than 30 cm. Bundle them in three grades according to the height of the Chinese toon (1.5 m, 1 m, and 0.5 m respectively). Place the graded Chinese toon in a cool place for heeling-in, cover with soil, irrigate, and cover well with straw mats. The straw mats should be sprinkled with water frequently to prevent the Chinese toon seedlings from drying out, and even more attention should be paid to keeping the roots from being exposed, which would make it hard for them to recover. After about 20 days, the Chinese toon will have completed its dormancy period.

2. Building the shed and preparing the land.Build the shed in late October, apply 15000 kg of high-quality decomposed human and livestock manure or chicken manure per mu, 50 kg of compound fertilizer, and 10 kg of urea, and deep-plow the soil 30-40 cm so that the soil and fertilizer are evenly mixed. Then level it and make north-south-oriented beds 1.2-1.5 m wide, with bed ridges 30 cm wide and 15-20 cm high.

3. Planting time and method.Transplant the dormant seedlings into the greenhouse in mid-November. When planting, plant them from north to south according to the height of the seedlings, burying the roots to a depth 5-10 cm above the base of the stem, at a planting density of 100 plants per sq m. Water immediately after planting. If roots are exposed or plants fall over, cover with soil and straighten them promptly, then spray gibberellin to induce early sprouting.

4. Management during the growth period.Suitable temperature and humidity in the shed are the main factors for high yields of Chinese toon. During the day, the shed temperature should be kept at around 25°C, and at night not below 15°C. After first entering the shed, the light during the day should not be too strong in order to help the seedlings recover; at noon, lower the straw curtains, and lift them again when the light weakens a little. At noon on sunny days, ventilate to lower the temperature. In deep winter, uncover and cover the straw mats in time, pay attention to keeping the shed warm, and if the nighttime temperature is too low, pay attention to heating. The heating method is to place a hot water bottle every 15-20 m, which can both raise the temperature and increase the humidity in the shed. Throughout the entire growth period, keep the humidity in the shed relatively high, and never let it dry out. Under good humidity and temperature, Chinese toon can sprout in about half a month, and in about one month it can grow to 20-30 cm, at which point it can be harvested and sold (this is mid-December). After harvesting the first crop, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer along with watering, about 10 kg per mu. After more than 1 month, harvest the second crop, which is exactly mid-to-late January, just in time to go on the market before the Spring Festival. In this way, two crops can be harvested before the Spring Festival, accounting for two-thirds of the yield of the entire growth period, with considerable benefits.