Beijing "Wild Hunting" Guide! How many of these wild delicacies have you tried?

Beijing is located in the northern part of the North China Plain, with four distinct seasons. The geographical environment of low mountains and hills interlaced with plains has nurtured rich wild vegetable resources. According to statistics, there are more than 200 kinds of edible wild vegetables in Beijing, and the types commonly eaten by people include shepherd's purse, wild garlic, dandelion, purslane, white wormwood, etc.

These wild vegetables hidden in the fields are not only seasonal delicacies on the table, but also carry the regional food culture. Today, let’s take stock of the wild vegetables that you can’t miss when “hunting in the wild” in Beijing!

Part.01

Shepherd's Purse

Shepherd's purse is a general term for plants of the genus Capsella in the family Cruciferae, commonly known as life-protecting grass, ground rice vegetable, and water chestnut vegetable. It is the most sought-after seasonal wild vegetable in early spring in the suburbs of Beijing.

This tender green plant grows close to the ground, has fine serrations on the leaf edges and is dotted with white stamens when it blooms. Older people often say "shepherd's purse is fragrant in March, if you miss it you'll have to wait a year", which refers to the golden viewing period in March when it is tender and juicy before it sprouts.

In the eyes of old Beijingers who value "biting spring", shepherd's purse and pork are a match made in heaven. Take freshly dug shepherd's purse, blanch it, chop it, mix it with meat stuffing and make dumplings. When you take a bite, the unique grassy fragrance of shepherd's purse wrapped in meat juice bursts on your lips and teeth. This sweetness with the fragrance of soil is the taste of spring that no greenhouse vegetable can replicate. In the water villages of Jiangnan, shepherd's purse is often blanched and mixed with water or cooked into tofu soup, while in Lingnan, it is preferred to be boiled with rice into health-preserving porridge.

Although shepherd's purse looks inconspicuous, it contains a rich treasure trove of nutrients: it contains 294 mg of calcium per 100 grams, which is three times that of milk. It also contains 11 kinds of amino acids, and the umami substances far exceed those of ordinary vegetables.

The "Compendium of Materia Medica" in the Qing Dynasty regarded it as the "licorice among vegetables". Modern research has confirmed that it is rich in acetylcholine which can help lower blood pressure, its crude fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis, and its vitamin A content is twice that of spinach, making it a nutritional all-rounder in the wild vegetable world.

Precautions

Shepherd's purse should be eaten immediately after it is picked. If it is stored for a long time, it will easily become fibrous. Shepherd's purse needs to be blanched before eating to remove oxalic acid, but the blanching time should not be too long to avoid destroying vitamin C. When cooking, avoid long cooking to avoid nutrient loss or yellowing of the leaves. People with weak constitution, loose stools and pregnant women should eat it with caution, and it should not be eaten with animal liver.

Part.02

Wild garlic

Wild garlic, also known as leek, small root garlic, mountain garlic, wild onion, and vegetable garlic, is a perennial herb of the genus Allium in the Liliaceae family.

This tenacious wild vegetable often takes root on hillsides, grasslands, fields and roadsides. It can thrive even in barren loess or semi-wasteland. Its traces can be seen in the moist woodlands around Beijing, such as Chaobai River in Shunyi, Taoyuan in Pinggu and the Tongzhou Canal.

Its underground bulb is shaped like a mini garlic, covered with a white membranous outer skin, with stems and leaves as slender as onions, and a cluster of pink and purple umbels at the top, making it highly recognizable.

Wild garlic has a spicy aroma with a hint of sweetness, and its unique flavor comes from the sulfur-containing compound alliin and volatile oils. This aroma, which is between onion and garlic, divides diners into two camps: supporters regard it as a "mountain delicacy", while those who despise it jokingly call it a "local assassin."

As a typical example of food and medicine, its white bulbs and young leaves are rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron.

Beijingers have their own way of picking wild garlic: after rain when the soil is soft, they pick it by hand; in dry seasons, they need to dig deep with a small hoe to prevent the roots from breaking. The most authentic way to eat it is to mix it with cold sauce - wash and cut it into sections, season it with salt, vinegar, chili oil, etc., and it will burst with spicy fragrance in its crispness; or stir-fry it with bacon, the wild garlic soaked in fat will become sweeter and more juicy (drooling (¯﹃¯)).

Gourmets go a step further and pickle the bulbs with sweet and sour sauce, making them a perfect accompaniment to wine or porridge.

Image source: Morning Time

Precautions

People with weak constitution, yin deficiency, hyperactivity of fire, and fever should eat it with caution, avoid eating it with high-calcium foods to prevent calcium oxalate stones, wash it thoroughly and blanch it in water before cooking to reduce the irritating ingredients.

Part.03

Dandelion

Dandelion is a general term for plants of the genus Taraxacum in the Asteraceae family. It is commonly known as "dandelion" and "yellow flowered dandelion" among the people . It is not only a herb that can be used as medicine and food, but also a favorite spring wild vegetable among northerners.

Every year between March and April, dandelions that have been dormant for a whole winter begin to unfold their tender leaves. The leaves are thick, emerald green, and have a light bitter taste. It is the best time to taste them.

Image source: yecai

There are many ways to eat dandelions in various parts of my country. In Beijing, the more common way to cook dandelions is to blanch the young shoots, add sesame paste, mashed garlic, and balsamic vinegar to eat it cold, which is crispy and sweet. It can also be chopped up and mixed with pork stuffing to make "wild vegetable dumplings". The dough is wrapped with fragrance, which is the taste of spring in the memory of the older generation.

People who pay attention to health preservation will also cook dandelion leaves with tofu into soup, or dry them and mix them with rose and tangerine peel to make tea, which is both in line with the season and nourishes the body and mind.

The nutritional value of dandelion has been highly praised since ancient times. Its young leaves contain as many as 17 types of amino acids. The unique active ingredients such as taraxasterols and chlorogenic acid have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects as well as liver protection and choleretic effects.

Precautions

Although dandelions have a variety of medicinal benefits, they need to be consumed in moderation. Excessive consumption may cause diarrhea or other digestive discomfort, and may even cause liver damage.

Part.04

purslane

Purslane, also known as five-element grass, longevity vegetable, melon seed vegetable, grasshopper vegetable, etc., is a general term for the fat and tender stems and leaves of Portulacaceae plants.

Unlike the wild vegetables mentioned above, **purslane only begins to emerge at the end of spring. With the scorching summer sun, purslane creeps and grows in the fields. **When the plant is green and red, with thick and juicy leaves and has not yet bloomed, it is the golden period for picking and eating.

Fresh purslane is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (16 times that of prunes), vitamin C (16.4 times that of prunes), and minerals such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It also contains unique active ingredients such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, and norepinephrine.

After being blanched in boiling water to remove the sourness, purslane presents a unique texture of crispness, tenderness and slight stickiness. It can be eaten cold or fried with eggs to bring out the freshness and fragrance, or chopped into stuffing for steamed buns and dumplings, or even dried and stewed with pork ribs into a refreshing soup. Among them, cold-mixed purslane can retain the most vitamin C and has a very unique taste.

Precautions

People who have abdominal pain and diarrhea due to abdominal cold should not eat purslane, because purslane itself promotes gastrointestinal motility and will aggravate the condition.

Part.05

Artemisia

Many people may be unfamiliar with Artemisia annua, but if you mention the commonly known Artemisia annua, white Artemisia annua or Artemisia selengensis, many northerners will suddenly realize it.

This plant in the Asteraceae family also has ancient nicknames such as "Fang", "Baohao" and "Youhu", and has long been recorded in classics such as the "Book of Songs".

As a biennial herb, Artemisia white artemisia is widely distributed in Northeast my country, North China, Sichuan, Gansu and other places. It is commonly found on roadsides, wastelands, river beaches and other environments at an altitude of 500-4200 meters. Its stems and leaves are covered with grayish-white hairs.

The young leaves of Artemisia argyi picked in early spring are particularly delicious. People often stir-fry, mix them with cold salad or add them to soup, which can not only keep their crisp and tender taste, but also fully enjoy the natural fragrance. In early summer, people in many areas will make herbal tea with mature leaves or add them to porridge to relieve summer heat and balance the dampness and heat in the body.

The young leaves of Artemisia argyi contain not only vitamin C, B vitamins and beta-carotene, but also flavonoids, volatile oils and a variety of mineral elements. Modern research has also found that its unique active ingredients such as artemisinin and argentinol give it natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Precautions

Artemisia should be used with caution in patients with hypoglycemia because it has hypoglycemic effects and may cause hypoglycemia.

In Beijing, in addition to the wild vegetables mentioned above, there are also wild vegetables such as ash-gray vegetables, chicory, willow buds, elm seeds, prickly lettuce, and alfalfa. The "eight wild vegetables in spring" mentioned by the old people in the alleys refers to the fresh vegetables grown in the soil. People's love for wild vegetables may not only be the pursuit of taste pleasure, but also full of attachment to nature and nostalgia for the past.

But it should be noted that we should avoid safety and health problems when picking wild vegetables:

Identification accuracy: In the mountainous areas of Beijing, highly toxic plants such as poison hemlock and wolfsbane, as well as other fungi, can be found. Careful identification is required when picking them. If you cannot identify them, please do not pick them.

Avoid pollution sources: Green areas within the Fifth Ring Road may be contaminated by herbicides. It is recommended to choose pollution-free areas in the suburbs with an altitude of more than 300 meters;

Legal collection: Random picking is prohibited in nature reserves;

Sustainable principles: retain the plant roots, and collect no more than 1/3 of the group at each location;

Pick in moderation: It cannot be eaten as a staple food for a long time, but it is good to eat it once or twice occasionally.

References:

1. Flora of Beijing (4th edition), Beijing Publishing House, 2021

2. Atlas of Chinese Wild Vegetables, compiled by Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Science Press

Author: Fish

Reviewer: Liu Ying, Li Peiyuan