The tiny berry that survives in the desert: how did it become the world's most perfect medicinal plant?

Not long ago, Shaoyao went to Dunhuang to scout locations for an upcoming study tour, and unexpectedly discovered a grove of sea buckthorn on the Gobi Desert.

Looking back, it had been many years since she had seen this plant. As a child, she picked sea buckthorn berries and drank sea buckthorn juice; as an adult, sea buckthorn slowly faded from people's view.

No matter where they are from, most people have more or less heard the name sea buckthorn, yet know little about this plant that grows in the Gobi. In fact, sea buckthorn is more wondrous and more delicious than we imagine...

Gobi Road Gobi Road

 He Who Travels Far He Who Travels Far

Hanggai Band 

00:00/03:41

{Shaoyao Girl Vol.903 }

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Sparks that set the desert alight

What was the drink you had most often in your childhood? If someone asked Shaoyao this, the answer would not be orange soda, nor Coca-Cola, butchilled sea buckthorn juice sold at the corner shop。

A thick glass bottle, the tin lid pried off with effort, one gulp straight down: sweet and tangy, cool and refreshing. The grainy texture was unlike blended juice; every mouthful tasted of fresh berries.

As a mischievous child, I climbed the hillside to play with a bunch of little rascals. We happened upon a sea buckthorn tree, its golden fruit so tempting, and reminded of the sweet-tart sea buckthorn juice, I could not resist picking a few berries and tossing them into my mouth...

Ptui, ptui, ptui! This sour, astringent taste, why is it completely different from sea buckthorn juice?

I ran to complain to my mom and dad, but they laughed and called me a silly child: the sea buckthorn berries are not ripe yet this season, look how impatient you are!

That innocent silliness, along with that sweet-and-sour taste of old, became the scene I most fondly recall whenever I look back on my childhood...

Sea buckthorn is one of the oldest plants in the world,

its history of origin can be traced back 200 million years.

It is a plant of the genus Hippophae in the family Elaeagnaceae,

mostly distributed across North China, Northwest China and Southwest China.

The vast majority of plants grow where water and grass are abundant,

but the stubborn sea buckthorn,

insists on growing in the Gobi desert.

It is extremely drought-tolerant and resistant to wind and sand,

even in harsh saline-alkali soil,

it can take deep root and grow wild.

A sea buckthorn grove in the desert

Sea buckthorn bears fruit around September to October,

the ripe fruit takes on an orange-yellow color,

round and plump, clustered on the branches,

like leaping flames in the desert.

After ripening, the fruit stays hanging on the branches,

even on days when snow falls thick and fast,

these little flames still hold up against the frost flowers,

blazing fiercely,

as if they really were"a fire in winter"。

The grayish-green leaves of sea buckthorn are slender and narrow,

yet densely woven into a net-like pattern,

sheltering the fruit from wind, sand and sun.

Because the leaves resemble willow leaves and the fruit is sour,

sea buckthorn's other name is"sour willow"。

Sea buckthorn is also a little fellow covered all over in thorns,

anyone who sneaks a pick may accidentally get their hand pricked.

Herdsmen in Xinjiang often use sea buckthorn branches to pen in sheep，

the long, dense sharp thorns are like natural weapons,

wild boars or starving wolves dare not come within half a step.

If you want to pick and gather sea buckthorn berries,

you will probably have to put in quite some effort.

Not only must you endure the hand-pricking thorns,

you also have to pick them one by one, very carefully,

so as not to break the fruit's fragile outer skin.

After toiling like this all day long,

you will find to your dismay

that you have not even filled half a basket.

It brings to mind what Thoreau said in "Wild Fruits":

"Nature has prepared these true and real good fruits,

not to be taken by any coarse person,

only those whose hearts are moved and grateful,

and who are both attentive and careful, deserve to pick them."

The seemingly ordinary sea buckthorn

actually hides enormous energy within.

In the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit of sea buckthorn

are rich in 428 beneficial active compounds,

and it is called "the world's most perfect medicinal plant."

Tibetan medicine first recorded the medicinal value of sea buckthorn:

"Warm in nature, sour and astringent in taste,

used to relieve cough, calm asthma, and invigorate blood circulation to remove blood stasis."

Sea buckthorn berries are rich in vitamin C,

every 100 grams of juice can contain 825-1100 mg of vitamin C,

which is 2-3 times that of other fruits,

and it has"king of vitamin C"as its laudatory title.

Sea buckthorn seeds have a high oil content,

and a purely natural vegetable oil can be extracted from them,

a yellow or orange-red transparent liquid,

giving off a unique fragrance.

Sea buckthorn oil can not only be used for cooking,

it is also a star in the beauty and skincare world~

Sea buckthorn oil is rich in vitamin C and total sea buckthorn flavonoids,

with whitening and antioxidant effects,

and is an important ingredient in many skincare products.

This special component, total sea buckthorn flavonoids,

is also friendly to people with the "three highs",

helping to lower cholesterol, lower high blood pressure,

and soften blood vessels.

In addition, sea buckthorn contains large amounts of amino acids, organic acids and other components,

which can promote the secretion of gastric acid and gastric juice,

helping to aid digestion and resolve food stagnation, and to strengthen the spleen and nourish the stomach.

The delicacies made from sea buckthorn

could almost fill a whole cookbook.

Sea buckthorn berries need no elaboration:

the juice pressed from them is sweet, sour and refreshing,

with fine, soft pulp settling at the bottom of the bottle,

richer and thicker than ordinary juice.

Children love the soft candies made from sea buckthorn,

coated on the outside with a layer of granulated sugar,

which neutralizes the sourness of the sea buckthorn berries,

chewy and springy, sweet and tangy.

For girls who love DIY desserts,

candied sea buckthorn berries dotted on a cake

are not only small and cute in appearance,

but also stimulate the appetite and cut through richness.

The jam made from sea buckthorn is very rich,

add an appropriate amount of oatmeal and yogurt,

and a quick yet healthy breakfast is ready~

Sea buckthorn berries tossed into a salad,

sweet, sour and refreshing, suitable as an appetizer,

are also a creative dish!

Girls who work out and diet must know about enzymes,

but have you heard ofsea buckthorn enzyme?

In a clean, dry glass bottle,

put in sea buckthorn, apple, lemon and rock sugar,

finally add purified water and seal it,

stir once a day with a spoon,

After waiting seven days for fermentation,

the sweet and tangy sea buckthorn enzyme drink is ready!

(The finished product has a slight alcoholic taste, so don't drink it if you're driving~)

Brewing tea with sea buckthorn berries

is also one of the ways to pass the time.

You can use fresh or sun-dried berries,

then add some sea buckthorn jam for flavor,

and this warm cup of fruit tea is full of the taste of autumn.

Besides the berries, the leaves of the sea buckthorn can also be brewed into tea.

Pick fresh sea buckthorn leaves,

and after steps such as air-drying, roasting, and pan-firing,

they are made into the nationally famous sea buckthorn tea.

People call sea buckthorn tea a health tea,

with the benefits of regulating the stomach and intestines and detoxifying and promoting the flow of qi.

Sea buckthorn leaves can also be used in congee and soups,

acting like a distinctive spice,

able to enhance freshness and remove gaminess, adding flavor to food.

Since every part of the sea buckthorn is a treasure, it should have become an internet sensation like the avocado, yet the reality is exactly the opposite.

Many years have passed, and today's supermarkets can easily stock imported drinks from all over the world, yet the sea buckthorn juice is nowhere to be found.

And seeing a wild sea buckthorn tree is even harder.

The last time Shaoyao saw wild sea buckthorn was on the Gobi Desert in Dunhuang. Under the vast blue sky, tall sea buckthorn trees grow freely, their branches and leaves flaunting themselves, as if trying to rival the white clouds.

The sea buckthorn berries in the afternoon sunlight seem about to fall, so fresh you could squeeze water out of them.

Shaoyao seems to have returned to childhood,

the sky so blue, the clouds so high, climbing up the hillside,

once again unable to resist picking a few sea buckthorn berries,

and tossing them into her mouth.

Mm, this time it's the familiar sweet and tangy taste~

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The images in this article are from Visual China Group and instagram