The wild grass by the water is spicier than chili peppers, unbeatable for catching soft-shelled turtles, and also a top-grade ingredient for brewing wine

Everyone knows that there are many kinds of wild grasses in China's rural areas, and in the past when medicine was not well developed, wild grasses became the representative of cure-alls, and even now, many rural areas still gather wild grasses to treat illnesses. But now that medicine is advanced, and innovations in both Chinese and Western medicine continue to deepen into the market, some valuable wild grasses are no longer well known to people, and the wild grass to be introduced today has many values! I am sharing it especially with friends who like to go exploring in the mountains, because when necessary, this wild grass may be of great use!

The wild grass shown in the picture is called "water smartweed" (Persicaria hydropiper). If you pay careful attention, you will often find it by the water and in the water. Water smartweed basically exists in most parts of the country, and is denser in temperate and subtropical regions. Water smartweed is at least 20 cm tall and can reach up to 80 cm tall, with its roots buried underground, many branches, and swollen nodes, somewhat similar to bamboo, and its exterior is grayish-brown or purplish-brown. However, "water smartweed" also has many other names, including "xin cai" and "qiang yu". Superior "water smartweed" has more leaves, will bloom, and has a strong spicy taste.

The author still remembers that when playing by the river with friends as a child, a friend wanted to use the toilet, but there was no toilet paper, so he used water smartweed to wipe his bottom, and afterward his bottom was burning hot and especially uncomfortable.

In the past, using water smartweed to catch soft-shelled turtles was unbeatable. Many old farmer friends would use water smartweed to catch soft-shelled turtles, just like today's fish drugs. As long as it was pounded into powder and then the powder was put in the water, the soft-shelled turtles could be anesthetized. Although the effect was not as good as today's fish drugs, it was much safer than fish drugs and would not harm the soft-shelled turtles.

And the greatest value of water smartweed is none other than treating venomous snake bites. There are too many venomous snakes in the world, about 600 or more species, and they are extremely easy to grow and widely distributed, so in the past, if old farmer friends were bitten by a venomous snake, they would pound water smartweed and apply it to the wound, which could cure venomous snake bites. Of course, water smartweed cannot cure every kind of venomous snake bite, so it must not be used blindly. After being bitten by a venomous snake, the best thing is to seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

And now, in a few areas there are still old farmer friends eating water smartweed. It can be served as a cold dish, or stir-fried plainly. After being eaten as a medicinal food, it can treat gastroenteritis, treat diarrhea, and have other effects.

However, as the old saying goes, every medicine has some toxicity. Water smartweed does indeed have many effects, but not everyone can eat it. For example, if women during menstruation eat water smartweed, it will instead cause an increase in blood volume, so such people must be careful and absolutely must not eat it.

In addition, water smartweed actually has another great use among the people, which is that it can be used as a wine starter to brew wine, and it is also a top-grade ingredient for brewing wine. In rural areas of Hubei, Fujian and other regions, quite a few old farmers use water smartweed to brew wine. Below, the author will share it with everyone.

Formula: 1 kg of water smartweed, appropriate amounts of starter and rice. Preparation method: decoct water smartweed to make juice, mix with starter and rice and brew wine in the usual way, and after the wine is made, remove the lees and residue.

The wine brewed from water smartweed is not only good to drink, but also has the effect of treating edema and diarrhea and dysentery.

Dear friends, have you seen water smartweed? Have you heard of it? You are welcome to leave comments and share your thoughts!