The willow branches have just turned green, and I feel the spring breeze.

It is already mid-March in the Gregorian calendar, and the willow tree, as the messenger of spring, has already changed into green clothes.

At this time, you will see the small buds on the willow branches slowly sprouting tassels. These small tassels are catkins.

If it lasts longer, they will turn into white flocs flying all over the sky, with willow seeds hidden inside, and they will float everywhere in the wind.

People won't like it, and it can cause fires.

People don't just hate catkins, sometimes they like catkins.

Probably when the catkins have just grown up and have not yet matured and bloomed, they will become a delicacy on the table and a good medicine in the pharmacy.

Speaking of catkins, my mind goes back to my childhood. Every time when the catkins grow, every household, men, women and children will go to the roadside and river embankments in groups with sickles or bamboo poles on their backs and bamboo baskets on their backs.

, people can be seen wherever there are willow trees in front of and behind the house.

The adults stood under the willow tree and used sickles tied to bamboo poles to hook the willow branches, while some children would climb up the trees and chop down some branches with axes.

When it looks about the same, people will sit together and pluck the catkins from the willow branches together with the young leaves and put them into baskets.

After a while, the basket was full. Then I took the catkins home, cleaned the debris inside, soaked them in clean water for a few hours, and then fished them out when there was no bitter taste.

Then put the soaked catkins into a pot and blanch them in water, then pour them in cold water, knead the catkins into balls and squeeze out the water.

In this way, the catkins are processed. There are two common ways to eat catkins, one is cold and the other is made into steamed buns.

If it is served cold, it is relatively simple. Prepare condiments such as onions, ginger, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt, etc., stir well and then eat.

I think garlic paste is essential.

When making buns, you usually dry the blanched catkins and store them in the sun. You can use them to make buns at any time in the future.

My favorite thing to eat is the buns stuffed with catkins and vermicelli made by my mother.

Soak the dried catkins in water and mix them with cooked and chopped vermicelli to make bun fillings, and use fermented bread to make buns.

When the steaming buns come out of the pot, you can't help but salivate at the smell.

I can't wait to take the hot bun and take a big bite. If it is eaten with garlic, it will be delicious.

It’s the time to eat catkins again. I haven’t eaten them for many years because I’m away from home at this time of year.

Fortunately, I’m at home this time of year, so maybe I can eat it!

In fact, now that there are refrigerators, it is said that fresh catkins can be sealed in plastic bags and frozen. No matter when they are taken out to eat, they will be as fresh as fresh.

Everyone likes to eat catkins not only because of the delicious taste, but also because of the difficult years that their parents experienced, so they have a special liking for catkins and various wild vegetables. Maybe there is a kind of sentiment in it!

Many young people today do not even know that catkins can be eaten and do not know how to eat them.

However, you can still see some old people picking catkins on the roadside, along the river bank or even in the community.

It’s understandable that the elderly like to eat catkins, but they should also take care of the trees. Today’s environment is very fragile and cannot be compared with the past. Each of us should cherish it even more.

In fact, not all catkins are edible, such as the weeping willows in the city, and there is also a kind of flowering willow (catkins bloom when they grow out).

Special reminder: I strongly advise you not to ignore environmental protection just to eat this delicious food. Many people break off the branches and leaves of the originally good willow trees in order to pick catkins.