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Every year in spring, when buying vegetables at the market, you can always see someone selling fragrant leaves. They are stacked one by one, some are red and some are green, emitting a special fragrance.

These are also known as, , and spring shoots, commonly found in Anhui Province. They are young buds from the tree. They are fragrant, fresh, and tender, making them delicious to cook with. Eating leaves truly brings the feeling of spring.

harvesting happens before the Grain Rain, otherwise they become old. Generally, you can harvest two batches. The young leaves are bright red and very tender.

I once thought that when just sprouted a little, it would be picked and eaten. Wouldn't the tree stop growing leaves?

Not necessarily.

Picking's young buds is similar to pruning cotton plants. Picking's young buds is more beneficial for the tree's growth the following year, allowing it to produce more side branches and grow more, reducing the tree's height, which is a beneficial and profitable artificial harvesting method, and can increase the tree's yield and income. Therefore, whenever is pruned, it's even better.

is typically available from March to April. As a seasonal vegetable with a short growing period, the price is relatively high. So, it is usually sold by weight, converted to a price per kilogram, and during peak season, it can reach 200-300 yuan per kilogram. This shows how precious it is.

I've heard the saying 'Carrot freedom' refers to buying carrots when they're in season. Similarly, in March and April, there's a saying ' freedom'. This demonstrates how expensive it is.

Some people might wish that could be eaten all year round. Fortunately, there is a way to achieve this.

Long-term preservation method of: Wash and blanch them in water, then drain and pack them into fresh-keeping bags or freezer bags, and store them in the refrigerator. When you want to eat them, take them out and thaw them according to your preference. This method can preserve them for 1 year, allowing you to keep the feeling of spring.

fried egg

Reference quantity: 1 serving

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Difficulty level: ★★☆☆☆

Ingredients

1 bunch

Eggs 2

Seasoning

Oil, salt - to taste

Method

1. Check the you bought and remove the old leaves and broken leaves. Place them in a basin and pour in some water, add a little salt, and soak for 5 minutes before cleaning thoroughly.

2. Bring water to a boil in a pot, and when it boils, add the washed and roll them around in the water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, remove them and immediately plunge them into cold water.

3. After plunging into cold water, drain the excess water and arrange them neatly. First, cut off the oldest part of the head, then chop them finely. If you like, you can cut them a bit larger.

4. Prepare 2 eggs and beat them in a large bowl.

Mix in the chopped and salt, and mix well.

5. Heat oil in a pot, pour in the egg and mixture, and do not stir immediately, let it set in the pot.

6. Once the egg is mostly set, use a spatula to flip it over. At this point, the ingredients will separate and the chunks will be few. Don't worry, there is still oil in the pot, continue to sauté, and the aroma will be very fragrant.

7. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you added too little salt when you added the eggs, you can add more salt at this time, and take it out of the pot and plate.

Take a piece and put it in your mouth. The softness of the egg and the fragrance of the make you feel like you've eaten the whole spring!

Tips

1. Blanched is a necessary step. contains a lot of nitrates and nitrites, which can form carcinogens in the body. Blanching for 30 seconds to 1 minute can remove 2/3 of the nitrates and nitrites. Therefore, when cooking, you must blanch it first. Don't worry that blanching will make the characteristic fragrance of fade away. The fragrance of comes from insoluble fragrant oils, so blanching will not affect the flavor of the dish.

2. The ratio of to eggs can be adjusted according to personal preference. Those who don't like the strong fragrance of can add more eggs. Every cook's fried egg is unique.

3. Use a little more oil than when cooking other dishes. This makes the dish more delicious.

Besides frying eggs, another typical way to eat is to make a cold salad. The method is the same as blanching, cutting, and chopping. Cold salad is suitable for grabbing, so it should be cut a bit thicker than fried eggs. Otherwise, it won't be easy to grab. Then add salt, soy sauce, chili oil, or chili peppers, and chopped green onions. Mix well and enjoy.

is a seasonal dish, and the time when it's available and edible is very short. So, if you see it on sale, you must buy some to cook and enjoy the flavor of spring. Otherwise, it will be gone in a blink of an eye, and not only will the be old and not delicious, but you will also be unable to buy it when it's on sale.

Remember to check out the market and buy some to bring home and experience the flavor of spring.

About, please share your favorite methods and suggestions in the comments!

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