Mother-holds-child greens look like mustard tuber but taste even better, and they make an absolutely superb pickle

When it comes to vegetables, probably no one finds them unfamiliar; as long as you are human, who can go a day without eating some vegetables? In rural areas, farmers grow their own vegetables, which makes them fresh and convenient to eat, especially in winter, when farmers also store some vegetables to get through the whole winter.

In Sichuan, Guizhou and other parts of China, there is a winter vegetable commonly known as "mother-holds-child". It looks very peculiar, and some people who do not know better mistake it for mustard tuber, but in fact it tastes even better than mustard tuber.

It is er cai, also called wa'er cai, because during growth er cai puts out many buds, and each bud can be eaten separately; it looks as if many buds are wrapping around the mother plant, hence the name er cai.

This vegetable looks somewhat similar to mustard tuber, but its size is many times that of mustard tuber. A whole er cai plant can weigh up to 8 jin. This strangely growing vegetable has a tower shape, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, and it looks quite beautiful. Add to that its high yield, and farmers very much like growing er cai. From a distance, er cai even has a fresh mustard-like fragrance, giving people a feeling of relaxed delight.

Do not judge er cai by its strange appearance, because er cai tastes very good, extremely crisp and refreshing. What is more, this er cai is the best for making pickles, much tastier than mustard tuber, and it can also be stored for a long time.

Pickles made from er cai taste very crisp and refreshing, and er cai can also be stir-fried quickly with meat and eggs; it is very appetizing, and for people with a poor appetite, there is no better appetizer than er cai.

Er cai mainly grows in the rural areas of Sichuan and Chongqing, so many people from other places say they have never even heard of this vegetable, and northerners in particular may see it less often.

Er cai is not only first-rate in taste, but also very high in nutritional value. Er cai is rich in fiber, which can promote more intestinal activity, and the unique components in er cai also have the effects of reducing swelling and fighting cancer.

Er cai contains a unique fragrance that stimulates people's appetite, can effectively help increase appetite and relieve symptoms of poor appetite, and for friends with a weak stomach, eating er cai often can also nourish and protect the stomach.

Dear friends, have you ever eaten er cai? What other ways of eating er cai do you know? You are welcome to leave a comment and share!