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The sage plant grows wild in Vietnam, although it is poisonous, Chinese people still buy and eat at sky-high prices

A plant that grows wild in Vietnam, although it is poisonous, Chinese people still buy and eat at sky-high prices - Photo 1.

Sprouts are very popular with Chinese consumers (Photo: sohu.com)

Wild plants in Vietnam, high prices in China

The sprouts of neem tree (also known as spring incense, umbrella tone) are very popular with Chinese consumers, bought and eaten as vegetables.

The scientific name is Toona sinensis (A. Juss) Roem, 20-30 meters tall, umbrella-shaped canopy, garlic-like pungent bark, feathery compound leaves, white flower clusters, oval fruit or nearly ovoid glossy brown.

The tree grows naturally in many northern border provinces of our country such as Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son… and the southern provinces of China.

This is a light-loving plant with a fast growth rate and leaves in the dry season; Flowering from May to July, fruit ripening from October to December.

The sprouts of sage have a very special aroma, and can only be eaten in the spring, because if left to the spring, its taste will not be the same as before, it can be said to be inedible.

Therefore, the Chinese have a saying: “Before the rain, the neem sprouts are as soft as silk; after the rain, the sprouts are as hard as wood.”

A plant that grows wild in Vietnam, although it is poisonous, Chinese people still buy and eat at sky-high prices - Photo 2.

The tree grows naturally in many northern border provinces of our country (Photo: alicdn)

According to China’s Sohu news site, a few years ago, neem sprouts were sold in this country at a very low price, about 140 yuan/kg (480,000 VND/kg); but from last year until now, they are sold at a higher price, about 180 yuan/kg (615,000 VND/kg).

According to the Sohu reporter, due to the high price, the sprouts of the neem tree are not for the masses, Chinese consumers usually only buy in small quantities to try.

And the price around 180 yuan/kg is also not the most expensive. Reporters found in a vegetable market on Nanjing Road (Shanghai), the sprouts of sage here were sold for 240 yuan/kg (820,000 VND/kg).

Vuong Tue – a trader here – said that neem sprouts, transported by air from Hong Ha province in Yunnan province to Shanghai, are red sage sprouts with a special aroma. relatively rare, so the price must be above 200 yuan/kg (680,000 VND/kg).

In addition, on the market, there is a green type of Shaanxi sage, the price is only half of that of the red neem sprout, although the price is cheaper, the quantity sold is far inferior to that of the red neem sprout. red neem sprouts.

According to the Sohu site, in China, neem tree is grown very popularly in the provinces of Sichuan, Anhui, Shaanxi, Yunnan… Local people grow sage just to pick the sprouts. Currently, most of the neem tree sprouts on the Chinese market come from Yunnan.

So what is the value of neem sprouts? Why is the price higher than meat, fish and some imported fruits?

Food is nutritious, but eating the wrong food will be dangerous

Duong Thuy Ngoc – Acting Dean of the Department of Nutrition at the Asian Fruit and Vegetable Center in China – studied the antioxidant properties of more than 100 Asian vegetables and discovered that this property was found in the sprouts of the plant. sage is number one, and its anti-cancer effect is 3 to 10 times higher than that of sweet potato leaves.

The germ of the neem tree has therapeutic uses such as clearing heat, detoxifying, stopping bleeding, killing bacteria, and treating intestinal inflammation. The recent discovery of this plant also shows that it has anti-cancer effects and helps lower blood sugar, which is very beneficial for health.

A plant that grows wild in Vietnam, although it is poisonous, Chinese people still buy and eat at sky-high prices - Photo 3.

Among more than 100 vegetables in Asia, sage ranks first in terms of antioxidant properties, 3 to 10 times more anti-cancer effect than sweet potato leaves (Photo: Ifeng)

Many ancient Chinese medical documents also have records of neem tree as a good medicine. In “Manuscript Road” it is written that: “The leaves are boiled in water, which can wash away ulcers, scabies, and gangrene.”

The book “Manuscripts of Manuscripts” of the Ming Dynasty wrote: “Oillium can blow the wind to detoxify, the leaves of the neem tree can help with hair growth, treat jaundice, and remove roundworms.”

“Lang Xuyen Manuscript” wrote: “Oil is beneficial for the stomach, helps to stop bleeding, kill bacteria and treat dysentery”.

Although neem sprouts have many good uses, they must be processed properly to not cause harm to the body.

Research shows that, on average, each kilogram of sage leaves contains more than 30 mg of nitrate, and the nitrate content of old leaves can be as high as 53.9 mg/kg. Such high nitrate content, if not processed carefully, can easily cause poisoning for people to eat.

Therefore, before processing into dishes, it is necessary to soak the sprouts of sage in salt water. After soaking in salt water, it must be boiled again.

In fact, just add 1 teaspoon of salt to a pot of boiling water, dip the neem sprouts in boiling water for about 10 seconds, this way not only ensures the flavor is preserved, but also helps eliminate toxins.

After boiling, we can cook according to our preferences, make salads or mix sage sprouts with eggs and then fry them all very delicious.

A plant that grows wild in Vietnam, although it is poisonous, Chinese people still buy and eat at sky-high prices - Photo 4.

https://soha.vn/loai-cay-moc-dai-o-viet-nam-tuy-co-doc-nhung-dan-trung-quoc-van-mua-an-voi-gia-tren-troi- 20220511162032859.htm

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