As the spring reinvigorates the land in this region, wild herbs in fields are sprouting out one after another.

At this time, the dishes on the dining table are generally green vegetables. And the wild vegetables, growing thickly and fast, are precious gifts from nature. Today, we will tell you how to pick edible wild herbs this spring.

Fish mints (折耳根 zhé ěr gēn)

As the heat takes away the cold in winter, the land will wake up after sleeping for a season. When the winter is about to leave, the heat mixes with the cold. Feeling the spring, fish mints raise the head from the ground.

Before the Qingming Festival, we can only pick the leaves of fish mints. However, on the eve of this festival, we can dig out their whole roots. At this time, the roots are succulent and thick. After the Qingming Festival, the roots grow older, and a bitter taste will replace the refreshing fragrance of the leaves.

Recommended dishes: Cold Fish Mints with Sauce and Stir-fried Smoked Pork with Fish Mints.

Chinese Toon Sprouts (椿芽chūn yá)

When the spring breezes are blowing through the mountain forests, there is a pleasant smell. It is from the Chinese toon sprouts. Early in the pre-Qin period, 2,000 years ago, Chinese toon sprouts have become an important seasonal dish on dining tables. Exquisite families always enjoy Fried Chinese Toon Sprouts with Goose Eggs in this season. Then, the faint scent of spring will reach their whole body.

Recommended dishes: Fried Chinese Toon Sprouts with Goose Eggs and Cold Bean Curd with Chinese Toon Sprouts.

Bamboo shoots in spring (春笋 chūn sǔn)

As all things are recovering in spring, we say they are like “bamboo shoots after spring rain”. When the spring brings rainwater, bamboo shoots begin to spring up from the moistened land. We need to process the bamboo shoots after digging them out from the ground. After exposing in the air for a long time, the unique fragrance and tender texture will disappear. Some farmers will peel off the newly-dug bamboo shoots, boil them in water and mix them with salt. In doing this, they will remove the bitter and astringent taste and preserve the food properly. Then, people will enjoy the smell of spring even a long time has passed.

Recommended dishes: Braised Spring Bamboo Shoots and Simmered Old Duck Soup with Spring Bamboo Shoots

Nostoc Commune (地木耳 dì mù ěr)

What the spring rain wake up also include Nostoc Commune. Pieces of Nostoc Communes are like the moss, and they are refreshing and smooth after boiled by clean water.

Recommended dishes: Cold Nostoc Commune with Sauce and Spicy and Sour Nostoc Commune.

Affine Cudweeds (清明菜 qīng míng cài)

People always find edible wild herbs while having an outing in spring. Affine Cudweed is an important food in this season. As this herb is growing here and there, many people eat Affin Cudweeds Cakes this time. Although we can find this herb almost everywhere, a lot of them are growing on farm fields. The more frequently farmers turn up the soil, the more widely affine cudweeds will grow. This wild herb seems to be a gift from nature to reward the hardworking farmers.

Recommended dishes: Affine Cudweed Cakes and Cold Affine Cudweed with Sauce

Imperata Cylindrica (白茅根 bái máo gēn)

We can dig out Imperata Cylindrica in the mountains. This herb, that grows in spring, can be the ingredient for cold dishes-you can also eat it like a fruit.

Recommended dishes: Cold Imperata Cylindrica with Sauce, Stewed Chop Soup with Imperata Cylindrica

Wild Onions (野葱 yě cōng)

Wild onions share a similar appearance with spring onions but enjoy a stronger fragrance and thinner and shorter body.

We call it “wild onions” for they are usually growing in farm fields and dams and by ditches. Whatever the weather or season may be, they will seek nutrients from nature to grow. We also had such vitality while running wildly in the mountains and on plains when we were little.

Recommended dishes: Fried Eggs with Wild Onions and Hard Bean Curd with Wild Onions

Fiddleheads (蕨菜 jué cài)

The edible parts of fiddleheads are the unexpanded fresh leaf buds. After processing, the fiddleheads will have a fragrant and smooth texture. It will be refreshing and cool with special sauces. As an ideal dish with wine, we can also fry it and process it into a dry vegetable.

Recommended dishes: Fiddleheads with Sauce, Stir-fried Smoked Pork with Fiddleheads

Dandelion (蒲公英 pú gōng yīng)

When I was a child, I did not know that the leaves of dandelion were edible. However, I think the dandelion flowers are beautiful. However, after enjoying the Dandelion with Sauce, I came to love the texture so much.

Recommended dishes: Dandelion Pancake and Dandelion with Sauce

Oenanthe Javanica (水芹菜 shuǐ qín cài)

Oenanthe Javanica is also known as water celery and water dropwort. Looked like celery, Oenanthe Javanica has a more crispy texture. And the smell is not as storng as that of common celery.

Recommended dishes: Fried Shredded Pork with Oenanthe Javanica and Fried Pleurotus Eryngii with Oenanthe Javanica.

As the spring presents delicacies of nature, it is more enjoyable to find these edible wild herbs in the suburbs.

Source: CQCB