Red, green, purple, blue... they are quite popular.

"There are three treasures for summer heat relief: watermelon, grapes and a palm-leaf fan." Grapes, one of the "three treasures", are one of the best choices for summer fruits, delicious and nutritious. Whenever grapes are on the market, Xiao Ke is always confused when he walks into a fruit store. Why are there so many varieties? How should he choose? Of course, "foodies" will also have doubts, such as whether the white frost on the grape skin is pesticide residue, and whether the grape skin should be spit out, etc. Today, Xiao Ke will take you to know grapes clearly and become a "foodie" who knows everything.

The origin of grapes

Grapes have a long history in China. Wild grape seeds have been unearthed at the Jiahu site, which dates back about 9,000 to 7,000 years, and the Yuquyan cultural site in Dao County, Hunan Province.

Some studies believe that during the Xia and Shang dynasties, grape planting and brewing technology was introduced from Central Asia to the Western Regions and developed well. In the "Book of Han·The Western Regions·Dayuan State", there is a record that "Han envoys collected Putao and Musu seeds and returned", which suggests that Putao seeds were brought back from Dayuan by Han envoys traveling to the Western Regions.

Do you need to spit out the skins after eating grapes?

In life, we often hear the saying that "fruits and vegetables are better eaten with the skin on". In fact, if you can accept the astringency of the skin, from the perspective of efficacy and nutrition, it is recommended not to spit out the skin when eating grapes. Scientific research has found that grape skin contains more resveratrol than grape flesh. This is a polyhydroxyphenol compound. The polyphenols in grape skin account for about 25%-50% of the total phenols in grapes. This substance can play an antioxidant and cardiovascular protective role.

At the same time, grape skins are also rich in cellulose. Appropriate dietary fiber intake can help gastrointestinal motility and promote food digestion and absorption. The fiber in grape skins is mainly polysaccharides, lignin and nitrogen-containing substances. The total dietary fiber content accounts for more than 75% of the dry matter, and the water-soluble dietary fiber content accounts for more than 15% of the total dietary fiber content.

Is white frost on grapes harmful?

This layer of white frost is a sugar alcohol substance secreted by the grapes themselves, which can protect themselves and reduce water evaporation, thus preventing rapid water loss and shrinkage after picking. This kind of substance is harmless to the human body, and to a certain extent, white frost is a sign of fresh grapes.

Will there be any pesticide residue? Generally speaking, if the white frost is artificially produced, it is unnatural. Normal white frost is evenly distributed. If you are worried about pesticides, you might as well wash it more often.

There are some tips for washing grapes

In order to ensure that the grapes are clean, we can put the whole bunch of grapes in water, then add 2 spoons of flour or starch, toss it back and forth, and then wash it with water. Flour and starch can remove the dirt on the grape skin.

Is there anyone like Xiao Ke who likes to pick grapes one by one when washing them, thinking that this way they are washed cleanly? This is actually a wrong way to do it.

Because washing in this way can easily damage the fruit stems, the pesticides and bacteria on the surface may enter the grapes through the broken holes and contaminate the flesh. On the other hand, some of the nutrients in the grapes will also dissolve into the water and be lost.

Therefore, the safest way is to rinse them in bunches with running water first, then use scissors to cut them into small bunches that are easy to clean. If you don’t mind the trouble, you can cut them into single grains, being careful not to pierce the flesh.

Grape Varieties

Over thousands of years, humans have cultivated thousands of grape varieties, and new varieties are constantly being introduced. As for table grapes, there are four main groups: Eurasian grapes, American grapes, hybrid grapes, and East Asian grapes.

Purebred Eurasian grapes are not resistant to diseases, but the fruit is delicious and has a pleasant rose scent. Most of the grapes grown in northern my country are of this type. They are difficult to peel, but easy to produce seeds.

On the market, seedless white grapes suitable for making raisins, long-grain "Beauty Fingers", and "Rose Fragrance" with floral fragrance are all Eurasian grape varieties.

American grapes are highly disease-resistant and are very suitable for planting in the south where the climate is humid and diseases are prevalent. However, pure American grapes do not taste good. Some people say that they taste like "body odor"...

In our country, pure American grapes are rarely grown. What is usually grown is a hybrid of American grapes and Eurasian grapes.

Hybrid grapes combine the best of many varieties. For example, the most common purple grape, Kyoho, is a hybrid of American grapes and Eurasian grapes. It has the advantage of American grapes being easy to peel, and has an aroma similar to Eurasian grapes.

The "Sunshine Rose" that has become popular in recent years is also a hybrid of European and American grapes. Its flesh is crisp and hard, and the skin is difficult to peel, these two features are more like Eurasian grapes.

There is little grape cultivation in East Asia, and the main grapes are wild grapes in East Asia, which are mainly used as rootstocks, ornamental materials, and raw materials for breeding.

After learning about the grape family,

I believe you can walk into the store with confidence.

Calmly choose what you like~