A Detailed Guide to the Growing Environment, Main Benefits and Delicious Ways to Cook Butterbur
Butterbur, also known as Shetoucao, Wild Pumpkin and Black Pumpkin, is the rhizome of Petasites japonicus of the Asteraceae family, a perennial herbaceous plant. It is rich in nutrients and is a fairly ideal pollution-free vegetable. So, where does butterbur grow? What benefits does it have? How do you cook it to make it delicious?
1. Where does butterbur grow?
Butterbur grows on sunny hillsides and under forest canopies, in damp grassy areas beside streams and valleys. It is produced in Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Shandong, Fujian, Hubei, Sichuan and Shaanxi. It often grows beside streams, in grasslands or in thickets, and is frequently cultivated. It is also distributed in Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East.
2. What benefits does butterbur have?
Butterbur is cool in nature and bitter and pungent in taste. It has effects such as removing blood stasis and reducing swelling, and is suitable for conditions such as tonsillitis, carbuncles, swollen sores and toxic swelling, venomous snake bites, and traumatic injuries. Butterbur grows in higher mountain areas, in mountain hollows with relatively weak light and ample moisture. It belongs to the genus Petasites of the Asteraceae family, with the scientific name Petasites japonicus, commonly known as wild pumpkin, and is a natural health food. The fresh leaf stalks of butterbur contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other components. Modern pharmacological studies show that the petasin contained in butterbur is a very good nutrient.
The petasin contained in butterbur has an antispasmodic effect. The thymol methyl ether it contains has a strong bactericidal effect and low toxicity, is effective at disinfecting and sterilizing the mouth and throat, and can also promote the movement of tracheal cilia, which helps the secretion of tracheal mucus and readily produces an expectorant effect. It can be used to treat bronchitis, whooping cough and so on.
3. How do you cook butterbur to make it delicious?
Method: Cold-dressed butterbur
The traditional method is used: first boil in water, then peel and cut into sections, and finally season with a carefully prepared sauce soup.