Can Gardenia Flowers Really Be Eaten? The Latest Answer Is Here
Gardenia is also known as Huang Zhizi, Shan Zhi, etc. It is an evergreen shrub of the family Rubiaceae, distributed in central and south-central China. Besides being ornamental, its flowers, fruit, leaves and roots can be used as medicine, with effects of clearing fire and relieving irritability, clearing heat and promoting urination, cooling blood and detoxifying. The flowers can be used as a spice for tea, and the fruit can reduce inflammation and relieve heat. Now let us take a look at whether gardenia flowers can really be eaten!
Can gardenia flowers really be eaten?
Gardenia flowers can be eaten. Gardenia flowers are widely cultivated in southern China, such as Jiangxi, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and other areas. Every summer when the flowers bloom, many places have a tradition of gathering and eating gardenia flowers. They can be stir-fried plainly, brewed as tea, or paired with small bamboo shoots or cured meat. They have a chewy texture in the mouth with a delicate fragrance, absolutely complete in color, aroma and taste.
What are the benefits of eating gardenia flowers?
1. Clearing fire and relieving irritability: The effect of gardenia flowers in clearing fire and relieving irritability is suitable for use in some patients with heat disturbing the mind, and it can also help treat exogenous febrile disease, pathogens stagnating in the upper energizer, and chest tightness with restless sleeplessness.
2. Clearing heat and cooling blood: Gardenia flowers are bitter and cold, can enter the blood aspect and dispel pathogenic heat, and are an auxiliary therapeutic food for sores and ulcers, swelling and toxin, intestinal wind and dysentery, and reckless movement of hot blood.
3. Resolving phlegm and relieving cough: Gardenia flowers can inhibit bacterial growth, dilute phlegm and clear the airway, and have the effect of resolving phlegm and relieving cough. They can be used as a dietary therapy for cough caused by hot phlegm congesting the lungs.
4. Promoting bowel movements and preventing cancer: Gardenia flowers contain cellulose, have the effect of loosening the intestines and promoting bowel movements, can promote large intestine peristalsis, help with defecation, and prevent the onset of hemorrhoids and the occurrence of rectal cancer tumors.
How to cook gardenia flowers deliciously?
1. Cold-tossed gardenia flowers
[Ingredients] 20 gardenia flowers, 50 grams broccoli, 2 eggs, appropriate amounts of salt, sugar, chicken essence, pepper, scallion and garlic.
[Method] 1. Wash the gardenia petals with clean water, blanch them in boiling water and remove. 2. Spread the eggs into an omelet and cut into shreds. 3. Cut the broccoli into thick shreds, wash, and blanch until cooked in boiling water. 4. Wash and chop the scallion and garlic, put the broccoli and gardenia flowers into a large bowl, add the scallion and garlic, and pour 2 spoonfuls of hot oil over them. 5. Add the egg shreds, add some salt, sugar, chicken essence and pepper, mix evenly, and plate.
2. Gardenia flower egg soup
[Ingredients] 6 gardenia flowers, 1 egg, appropriate amounts of oil, salt, scallion and ginger.
[Method] 1. Crack the egg into a bowl and mix evenly. Remove impurities from the gardenia flowers, soak in lightly salted water for 20 minutes, and rinse clean. 2. Take a small saucepan, add an appropriate amount of clean water, add ginger slices, and bring to a boil. 3. Pour in the egg liquid and bring to a boil. 4. Add the gardenia flowers and bring to a boil. 5. Add a little salt, add chopped scallion, and drizzle with some olive oil.
3. Fresh gardenia flower soup
[Ingredients] 150 grams gardenia flowers, 100 grams pork lean meat, 30 grams shredded pickled mustard tuber, appropriate amounts of chopped scallion and shredded ginger.
[Method] 1. Remove impurities from the gardenia flowers, wash, blanch briefly, and drain. 2. Cut the pork into shreds. 3. Add water to the pot, and after boiling add the gardenia flowers, pork lean meat and shredded pickled mustard tuber. 4. Cook until the pork floats, skim off the foam, add chopped scallion, shredded ginger and the other five-flavor seasonings, and serve in a soup bowl.