This wild vegetable was once a tribute item in ancient times, with top-grade stems and leaves, yet it is often treated as a harmful weed and fed to pigs.

In the countryside and the wild, there are countless wild grasses. Especially after spring arrives, wild grasses in the countryside begin to grow madly. Whether in front of and behind houses, in vegetable gardens, in farm fields, or in rivers and lakes, all kinds of wild grasses grow everywhere. Farmer friends have mixed opinions about these wild grasses. Some wild grasses are loved, while others are hated. For example, wild grasses that can be eaten as wild vegetables are very much liked by farmer friends, while wild grasses growing in crop fields are often objects of hatred for farmer friends. Below, the author introduces one such wild grass. It is often misunderstood by farmer friends and taken to feed pigs.

It looks like a lotus leaf, and every year in May it blooms. Its flowers are yellow, somewhat like pumpkin flowers. This aquatic wild grass is "Xingcai," also called "Xingcai." Presumably many friends living in rural areas should be very familiar with Xingcai, but do not know its name, because it is often misunderstood by farmer friends as a harmful weed in rice fields.

Xingcai likes to grow in paddy fields, rice fields, and rivers. Xingcai's adaptability and vitality are both very strong. Throw a broken root, broken stem, or broken branch of it into water, and it can regenerate into a new Xingcai plant. One can imagine how strong its vitality is. Moreover, Xingcai grows quite fast. Its branching stems and branches weave together in the water, and its stems can grow to 1.5 m or longer in one year, so it is often removed by farmers as a harmful weed in rice fields and paddy fields.

However, because pigs, ducks, and geese all like to eat Xingcai, farmer friends do not waste it after removing it. Instead, they take it to feed pigs, ducks, geese, and other poultry and livestock.

Actually, Xingcai is not as bad as people imagine. On the contrary, it is a top-grade wild vegetable. I believe many people know the Book of Songs. Although they may not be able to recite it, they still know "Guan-guan go the ospreys, on the islet in the river. The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady, for our prince a good mate she." In fact, Xingcai was mentioned in the Book of Songs. The original lines say, "Here long, there short, is the duckweed, to the left, to the right, borne about by the current," "Here long, there short, is the duckweed, to the left, to the right, we gather it," "Here long, there short, is the duckweed, to the left, to the right, we cook it."

What is described here is the scene of ancient women gathering Xingcai. The reason they gathered Xingcai is said to be that in the early Zhou Dynasty, when sacrificing to ancestors and spirits, Xingcai soup made from Xingcai was used as a tribute for the sacrifice. It can be seen that in ancient times Xingcai was already a top-grade wild vegetable.

So, as a top-grade wild vegetable in ancient times, what values does Xingcai have? The tender stems, tender leaves, and flowers of Xingcai can be eaten as a wild vegetable. They are tender and juicy, non-toxic, and have no unusual odor. They are rich in protein, fat, vitamin B1, vitamin C, organic acids, and many other nutrients. Their taste is like that of water shield, smooth, tender, and refreshing to eat.

In addition, the whole plant of Xingcai can also be used as medicine. According to the National Compilation of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Xingcai has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. It can be used to treat many symptoms such as cold and fever without sweating, incomplete eruption of measles, urticaria, edema, difficult urination, and snakebite.

So in the future, when you see Xingcai, this wild vegetable, in paddy fields and rice fields, do not treat it as a harmful weed anymore. It is actually very useful. Especially in summer, using Xingcai flowers with mung beans to cook Xingcai mung bean porridge is not only sweet, fragrant, and refreshing, but also has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, and relieving summer heat and quenching thirst (the author personally tested it).

Friends, have you ever eaten Xingcai? You are welcome to leave a message and share!