When you are walking in the mountains and fields or in the weeds, you should pay attention to whether there is a kind of heart-shaped leaf beside your feet. The green leaf is slightly smooth, but the back is purple-red, and occasionally there are With small white flowers in full bloom, you must not think that this is just a wild plant in the mountains, because this inconspicuous wild plant is exactly the one that is widely loved in the southwest - Zheeria root.

Speaking of Zheergen, anyone who has lived in the southwest will be familiar with it. Although it looks inconspicuous, it is a must-have ingredient on the local people’s tables, even during the New Year. During the festival, Zheergen must also occupy an equally important position as fish, chicken, duck and fish.

In fact, Orchid root is not limited to the southwest region. It is commonly found in Shaanxi, Gansu and all provinces south of the Yangtze River Basin. It can even be seen in Japan and Java Island, Indonesia.

Of course, different places have different names for it:

"Compendium of Materia Medica" calls it "Houttuynia cordata", and in Meizhou, Guangdong, it is called "Gou Jian Er" , "Zhe'ergen" is the most common name in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan areas.

Among the Chinese people, the history of eating Zheergen can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period in 520 BC. At that time, it was not called Zheergen or Houttuynia cordata, but called "weed" because It grows in a place called Jishan in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and its discovery is related to a person, this person is Gou Jian, King of Yue.

One year when there was a famine, King Gou Jian of Yue led his people to go up the mountain to look for edible wild vegetables. The wild vegetables were dug out of the ground unintentionally. Because they were found on Jishan Mountain, people called them wild vegetables. Later, because this wild vegetable had a fishy smell, King Gou Jian of Yue changed its name to "Houttuynia cordata" that everyone is familiar with now.

Regarding this historical allusion, Wang Shipeng, a poet of the Qing Dynasty, later wrote a poem called "Yong Ji":

This poem was also engraved by later generations. On the cliff of Jishan Mountain.

But this is probably just a local folklore. The earliest origin of the name "Houttuynia cordata" was first found in "Famous Doctors":

Chinese food culture has a long history. Even for the root that grows in the countryside, people have created many cooking methods.

The most common one is "cold Zheergen", but the parts of Zheergen taken from different places are different. For example, Sichuan, Chongqing and other places eat Zheergen leaves, while Yunnan and Guizhou prefer to eat the roots. .

I remember one time when my friends and I went to Chongqing and saw a dish of "cold folded ear root" in a local restaurant. Feeling homesick, we ordered this dish, but when it was served, we only saw With a plate of leaves, we were tempted. The locals told us that this is their local way of eating, and that the leaves are "delicious" when mixed with them.

We asked: "Where are the roots?"

The answer: "They were all fed to the pigs."

Upon hearing this, the friend blurted out:

p>

"In our area, we only eat the roots and feed the leaves to pigs."

This is not a matter of anger, because the Yunnan-Guizhou region does only eat the roots of Zheergen. Very few people eat the leaves, but this episode also proves the fact:

The whole body of the Zheer root is full of treasures.

In fact, whether you eat the roots or the leaves, the method is basically the same. Wash it and put it into a bowl. Sprinkle some minced onion, ginger and garlic, add some sesame oil to enhance the flavor, and pour soy sauce. and vinegar, and some chili. This recipe is very simple, and the ingredients only cost about ten yuan, but it is a refreshing side dish that everyone loves.

In addition, the Zheer root is naturally indispensable in the "dipping culture" of Guizhou people: cut the Zheer root into small sections and sprinkle it on top of a pile of chopped green onion, coriander, pepper and other seasonings. Add a little soup and stir twice. I can't wait to take out the fish and vegetables in the soup pot. I just use the tip of my tongue to stir the chopsticks dipped in water. The unique fragrance overflows from my mouth in an instant. Come on - "It smells so good!"

Of course, stir-fried Zheer roots and bacon are a must-order delicacy for many people during the festival - "Stir-fried Zheer roots with bacon".

The heavy smokey smell of bacon is neutralized by the fragrance of Zheergen. Not only is it not greasy, but it also tastes more refreshing. Zheergen, because it has some oily aroma of bacon, makes people stop. Don't let it go. As a result, the Zheergen has become the protagonist and soul of this dish, and the more expensive bacon has been transformed into a supporting role; usually in the end, the Zheergen is often eaten up, while the bacon can only be left alone on the table. Leave in bowl.

As mentioned before, Zheergen’s whole body is full of treasures. This is not only because every part of it can be used in vegetables, but also because the root of Zheeran is also a very toxic Chinese herbal medicine. Li Shizhen once wrote in "Compendium of Materia Medica":

"Fishy smell" The grass is pungent, slightly warm, and slightly poisonous. It can dissipate heat and poison carbuncles, treat hemorrhoids and prolapse of the anus, and relieve diarrhea."

There are also more than ten records of Zheer root being used as medicine in various ethnic minority areas in the southwest. Although there are different ways of using it, for example, some say soaking the root in water and drinking it, or decoction it with other medicinal materials, or pounding the root and applying it externally. These methods all take advantage of the heat-clearing and detoxifying effect of the root.

Modern medicine has also proven that the root of the fungus can treat various diseases such as upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, lung abscess, mumps, etc., and it also has a certain therapeutic effect on gastric cancer, rectal cancer, and lung cancer. It is said that Research on extracting anti-cancer and anti-cancer substances from the roots of Fructus Fructus has been carried out abroad.

It is believed that the root of the ear will play a greater role in future medicine.

Nowadays, with the COVID-19 epidemic, many Guizhou people also regard the roots of Zheuran as a "miraculous cure". Although there is no clear evidence that the roots of Zheuran have unique effects on fighting against COVID-19, The slogan "Broken ear root protection" is mostly humorous, but it gives many people optimistic hope.

In my opinion, no matter how the times develop and how science and technology advance, the orchid root will still never leave people’s lives. It will still be a side dish growing in the mountains.

Some netizens once ranked the "most unpalatable vegetables", and Zheergen ranked first - is it really unpalatable?

This is not necessarily the case.

Although some netizens classify the root of the fungus as an "unpalatable vegetable" and don't like its strong and strange fishy smell, the root of the fungus still has its own loyal fans.

There is no other reason - I just like the earthy smell!

In fact, Zhe'ergen was once "high-class":

According to legend, an emperor once fled to Sichuan. The local official responsible for the reception arranged a table of delicious food, but the emperor refused He had a special liking for the plate of folded ears, so he asked about its name. The official felt that the original name was too rustic and could not be considered elegant, so he made up a name casually - "Zhubigong".

Later, this name spread to the people, but the common people found it awkward to call it this way. In addition, the pronunciation of "Zhubigong" in Sichuan area was very similar to "Zhubi Gong", so people used "Zhubi Gong". The name Zheergen came and continues to this day.

Until now, in some areas of Sichuan you can still hear people refer to the root of the folded ear as the pig nose arch.

Speaking of which, this can be regarded as a piece of unconfirmed history. , but I like this story very much. Whether it is "Jubigong" or "Pig Nose Arch", they all have special meanings given by people. Although "Jubigong" sounds like an exquisite royal dish, it is no match for it. "Pig nose arch" has a wider mass base, because although it is vulgar, it is more down-to-earth. This is probably the wisdom of Zhe Ergen, who does not care about the preferences of the world, does not cater to worldly values, and just wants to live in his hometown. Growing in the wild.

How could you not love such a confident lifestyle?