The efficacy and function of wild mint

Wild mint is a common plant and a perennial herb. It is very popular and valuable. Wild mint is rich in nutrients and many other functional ingredients, the most common of which is carotene. It can be used to make tea or added to seasonings when cooking. It can play a seasoning role. It must be cleaned in time when used.

The efficacy and function of wild mint

Mint is also known as Asian mint, mint grass, wild mint, fish herb, Rendange, earth mint, Su mint, ghost herb, water motherwort, elderberry, and swelling-removing herb. It is widely distributed and can be found naturally in tropical and temperate regions of Asia, the Russian Far East, North Korea, Japan and North America. my country is rich in mint resources, with wild or artificially cultivated mint produced in every province.

Perennial herb, up to 60 cm tall. The stem is much branched, slightly pubescent in the upper part and slightly pubescent along the ribs in the lower part. Leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate or oblong, 3-7 cm long, pointed at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, sparsely serrated with coarse teeth above the base, and pubescent on both sides; petiole is 0.2-1 cm long and pubescent. The cymes are axillary, spherical, about 1.8 cm in diameter, and the peduncle is less than 3 mm long. The pedicel is thin; the calyx is tubular-bell-shaped, about 2.0 mm long, covered with hairs and glandular dots, with unclear veins, and calyx teeth, narrowly triangular; the corolla is lavender or white, about 4 mm long, slightly pubescent, with 2 lobes on the upper lobe and the remaining 3 lobes nearly equal in size, oblong, and obtuse at the apex; there are 4 stamens, about 8 mm long. The nutlets are ovoid, yellowish brown, with pits, and weigh about 1 gram per thousand. The flowering period is from July to September, and the fruiting period is October. The fruit is yellow-brown when ripe and is hidden in the persistent calyx. It is best to harvest it in summer and autumn when the stems and leaves are lush or when the flowers are in their third round. It can be eaten fresh, or dried in the sun or in the shade for use as food or Chinese medicinal materials.

【Nutrients and functional ingredients】

Mint is edible for its tender stems and leaves. Every 100 grams of edible part contains 1.44 mg of carotene, 0.09 mg of vitamin B2, and 46 mg of vitamin C. Mint also contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, flavonoids, organic acids, amino acids and other ingredients. The content of elements such as iron, sodium, zinc, and aluminum is relatively high. Mint stems and leaves contain volatile oils, fresh stems and leaves contain volatile oils, and dry stems and leaves. The volatile oil contains medicinal ingredients such as levorotatory menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate 3010, camphor terpenes, and limonene.

The edible parts are the tender stems and leaves of mint, a plant of the genus Mentha in the family Lamiaceae. There are many ways to eat mint. Among the common people, mint is often eaten alone in cold dishes, soups, vegetable soups, vegetable porridge, steamed dishes, vegetable buns, herbal tea drinks, and mixed with meat in cold dishes. Common dishes made with mint as raw material and their therapeutic effects are introduced as follows:

(1) Cold mint salad: 300 grams of mint, appropriate amounts of salt, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ground ginger, sugar and MSG. Wash the mint, blanch it in boiling water, take it out and soak it in cold water, squeeze out some water, cut it into sections and put it in a plate. Put minced ginger, salt, rice vinegar, MSG and sugar in a bowl, mix well, pour it on the mint and drizzle with sesame oil. Features: green in color, unique taste, sweet and sour and refreshing. Efficacy: Spicy and cool, diaphoretic.

(2) Mint and Tomato Soup: 100 grams of fresh mint, 100 grams of tomatoes, 30 grams of sugar, and 20 grams of water starch. Wash the mint and cut it into 1 cm long segments; wash the tomatoes, blanch them in boiling water, peel and remove the stems, and cut them into 1 cm square dices. Place the soup pot on the fire, add 600 ml of water, add diced tomatoes, mint, and sugar after boiling, thicken with water starch, and serve in a soup bowl after boiling again. Features: green with red color, sweet, sour and refreshing. Efficacy: Sober up and relieve wind.