​This delicious food that southerners love so much, I bet northerners have not only never eaten it, but have never even seen it!

It is not easy to pronounce the names of radish (jiào) and leek (xiè). I guess many people don’t know them!

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There is a folk saying that goes, "Eat radish before and after meals, and you won't have to visit a doctor." This means that eating radish before and after meals will keep you healthy. Although this saying is a bit exaggerated, it is enough to reflect the status of radish in people's hearts. What kind of plant is radish? This article will talk about its nutrition and how to eat it!

What is garlic sprout?

Chinese onion is the underground bulb of the Allium genus of the Liliaceae family. It is also known as scallion and scallion. It is a special vegetable resource in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in my country. It is mainly distributed in Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places in my country. It is also cultivated in Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the United States. Chinese onion is white and crystal clear in appearance, and tastes spicy and tender. It is also known as the "Ganoderma lucidum among vegetables".

The name of 藠头 is very interesting. The character "藠" is composed of the grass radical and three white characters below. There are green stems and leaves on the top and the spherical rhizome hidden in the soil below.

Although both the leaves and bulbs of radish can be eaten, people usually eat the bulbs. The bulbs are long and oval, growing in clusters, and the skin is mostly white. The radish looks like a combination of leeks, onions, and garlic. As a plant of the Allium genus, it naturally has the characteristics of both onions and garlic in taste and flavor. Although it has a spicy taste, it has a unique fragrance.

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At first glance, the leeks bulbs are actually very similar to the pickled garlic we are familiar with, but if you take a bite you will find that it does not taste like pickled garlic at all. It tastes like both leeks and garlic, and the taste is amazing.

What nutritional value does garlic sprouts have?

In terms of nutrition, radish mainly contains some active ingredients that are beneficial to the human body, such as steroidal saponin compounds, nitrogen-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds, fatty acids, polysaccharides, flavonoids, etc.

1

Steroidal saponins

Steroidal saponin compounds are the main active chemical components in the Allium genus of the Liliaceae family, and are relatively stable. This component can inhibit the growth of various tumor cells, help enhance the body's immunity, reduce serum cholesterol levels, improve myocardial ischemia, and also has a certain antiviral ability.

Other studies have mentioned that steroidal saponins are also helpful in anti-inflammation, asthma control, anti-platelet aggregation, stroke prevention and heart protection.

2

Sulfur compounds

As a plant of the Allium genus, celery naturally contains sulfur compounds like onions and garlic. Studies have shown that sulfur compounds in celery account for 94% of the total volatile components, and 27 different sulfides have been identified. The sulfur compounds in celery have certain antibacterial effects and have a good inhibitory effect on Candida albicans.

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3

Nitrogen compounds

The nitrogen-containing compounds in radish include adenosine, thymidine, tryptophan, etc., among which adenosine has a significant inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation activity.

4

Fatty compounds

Allium contains a large amount of fatty acid compounds, including lauric acid, p-coumaric acid, linolenic acid, palmitic acid, etc.

5

Polysaccharide compounds

Allium tuberosum contains abundant polysaccharide compounds, which are one of its main active ingredients. It has the effects of anti-oxidation, scavenging free radicals and anti-tumor.

6

Flavonoids

Some researchers have isolated flavonoids from radish, which can help us resist oxidation, fight inflammation, delay aging and prevent cardiovascular disease.

This way of eating garlic sprouts is very delicious

Allium tuberosum has a unique flavor. For those living in the south, a bowl of rice with a plate of allium tuberosum is a delicious meal. Allium tuberosum can be cut into strips or sliced ​​for cooking, or pickled with salt to make kimchi, which tastes great.

After pickling, the lactic acid produced by fermentation reduces the raw and spicy taste of the radish and produces a unique aroma.

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During the fermentation process, the bacterial flora structure of radish is complex. The vigorous metabolism of yeast accumulates a large amount of alcohol substances. Alcohol substances react with acid substances to produce ester substances, which provide radish with a special aroma. The ethyl acetate content is the highest, with a strong ether-like smell, refreshing and slightly fruity. After the alcohol substances are oxidized, ketone substances will be produced, which are often accompanied by fruity aromas, but this component will become less and less in the later stages of fermentation.

Pickled radish also contains aldehydes, mainly hexanal, nonanal and benzaldehyde. Hexanal has a grassy aroma, nonanal has a rose and citrus aroma, and benzaldehyde has a special almond smell. As a whole, they can bring a fresh and fruity aroma to pickled radish, and play a major role in the formation of flavor.

In addition, pickled radish also contains 2-methoxy-3-sec-butylpyrazine, which has a musty, fragrant, vegetable, nutty, peppery, and potato-like aroma.

Summarize:

People in the north are not familiar with scallion, but in the south, scallion is a favorite in summer and is highly sought after. It can not only be eaten as a vegetable for meals, have you ever eaten scallion?

References

[1] Yang Yiran. Study on chemical components and biological activities of Allium scabra[D]. Jilin University, 2021. DOI: 10.27162/d.cnki.gjlin.2021.005241.

[2] Lü Liping, Xia Yanbin. Health benefits of plant compounds in garlic sprouts on human body[J]. Enterprise Technology Development, 2010, 29(9):74-75

[3] Zhou Xiangrong, Xia Yanbin, Zhou Yuebin, et al. Research progress on the main functional components and their effects of garlic sprouts [J]. Food and Machinery, 2006, (03): 73-75. DOI: 10.13652/j.issn.1003-5788.2006.03.024.

[4] Yang Dingkuan, Ji Xiangqing, Zeng Cheng, Wang Yuchao, Xin Jing, Li Xiaolei, Li Dan. Analysis of volatile flavor compounds in pickled radish[J]. Journal of Food Safety and Quality, 2021, 12(12): 4978-4983

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia

Proofread by Xu Lai and Lin Lin