Annual or perennial herb; pinnately 3-foliolate, leaflets small, denticulate, veins extending into the ends of the teeth; stipules united with the petiole; flowers small, in short axillary racemes or heads; calyx teeth subequal; corolla yellow or purple, flag petals obovate or oblong, base attenuate, subsessile, keeled petals obtuse, shorter than winged petals; stamens 10, dimorphic (9+1); ovary with ovules numerous, style short, compressed or conical; pod convolute, often shell-shaped or curved-falcate, indehiscent, smooth or spiny, with one to several seeds. It can be used as food, blanched in hot water and served cold, with an excellent flavor.

There are two kinds of alfalfa generally in common use, the vegetable yellow-flowered grass, and the pasture grass, or zoysia. (1) as a vegetable is the yellow flowers, we call grass brain head ah! Alfalfa each fine stem above, there are leaves three teeth, such as inverted heart-shaped, apex slightly rounded or concave into the upper part of the serrated, the surface of the leaf is a strong green color, stalks are extremely short, eat, to the leaf-based, in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and other provinces production of extraordinarily large, every listing season, families are it as a household vegetable. Stir-fried with a good flavor! Alfalfa is a legume. Because of its roots can be spread to the ground 10 meters, so it can fully absorb the soil nutrients, often eat alfalfa can balance the body's pH value, is rare health food,

Alfalfa's young leaves, is the ideal vegetable, because extremely nutritious, in the leafy green vegetables, it's the highest content of Vitamin K, especially the content of Vitamin A and the difference between carrots and Vitamin C over the white carrot more than two or three times, and these are the most common vegetables. White radish two or three times more than these nutrients are more than spinach.

The way to eat alfalfa, of course, fresh for the best, and taste is also beautiful, because fresh alfalfa, all seasons, even in the cold season, there are also produced, but because of the climate and the land, sometimes the product is very tender, sometimes very old, the patient may wish to use this meal, can prevent bleeding. Salt "pickled cauliflower", the same effect.

Eating efficacy

Clover to clear internal heat: alfalfa is a cool vegetable, after eating, it can eliminate internal heat, especially in the dry season, used to accompany the meal, the effect is remarkable, more than the watercress.

Alfalfa is fried in oil and eaten hot, with a very fresh and clean flavor. After cooling, the taste is also good, the juice has a refreshing feeling, in the dry season, if you feel dry lips and tongue, used to accompany the meal, is to maintain the health of the best dishes.

Family edible method

1, the alfalfa will be picked to remove the old stems and yellow leaves after washing, with a strong fire and heavy oil fried food flavor is very fresh and tender.

2, Shanghai restaurant has raw stir-fry grass head supply, is to remove the stalk, completely with alfalfa leaves fried, so especially tender, the price is a little expensive.

3, alfalfa eaten cold, a unique flavor, the juice of the grass head, more cool and delicious than other vegetables.

Alfalfa - nutritional value

Alfalfa per 100 grams of alfalfa young stems and leaves containing 5.0 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of fat, 2.4 grams of crude fiber, 8 grams of sugar, 3.28 milligrams of carotene, vitamin B2 0.36 milligrams of vitamin B2, vitamin C 92 milligrams of calcium 103 milligrams of phosphorus 50 milligrams, iron 2.4 milligrams. It also contains vitamin K, alfalfa phenol, alfalfa pigment, soy flavonoids and other ingredients. Alfalfa has the efficacy of clearing heat and diuretic, soothing tendons and activating collaterals, dredging the intestinal tract, removing stones, tonifying blood and stopping asthma.

(1) Relieving cough and asthma. Modern pharmacology found that alfalfa contains alfalfa and alfalfa phenol and other substances, cough and asthma, bronchial diseases have a certain effect.

(2) Nourishing blood and stopping bleeding. Alfalfa contains a large amount of iron, so it can be used as an auxiliary food for the treatment of anemia, vitamin B12 contained in alfalfa can be used for the treatment of pernicious anemia; in addition, alfalfa also contains vitamin K, which is commonly used in folk medicine to treat gastric or hemorrhoidal and intestinal bleeding.

(3) Laxative and detoxification. Alfalfa contains crude fiber, can promote intestinal peristalsis, help stool and toxin excretion, prevention and treatment of constipation and intestinal cancer.

(4) Comprehensive effect. Clover contained in alfalfa can inhibit intestinal contraction, increase the content of thyroxine in the blood, can prevent the oxidation of adrenaline, and have a mild estrogen-like effect and anticancer effect; alfalfa contains soy flavonoids, alfalfa phenol have estrogenic biological activity.