Willow Bud Cold Vinegar Tossing
While strolling along the river, I saw new willow buds, and my heart felt a slight itch, so I picked a few and took them home to eat chilled with a vinegar dipping sauce.
Willow buds are simply the young shoots of the willow tree; weeping willows are not only full of spring’s gentle beauty, but also a natural ingredient that was enjoyed by ancient Chinese as a springtime delicacy.
Tang Pi Ri Xiu (A Song of the Spring Morning) ‘Plum blossoms shed light pink hair streaks, willow buds sprout golden syrup.’ from the poem ‘Fei Chou Lu Wang Shi Chun Jian Yi’.
Zhang Ke Ju ‘ Shui Xian Zi · Chun Xing Ji Shi’ ‘Green slips fragrant dew scatter banana blossoms, emerald thread clear wind blooming willow buds.’.
In the north, people would chew willow buds or willow branches to treat minor injuries and fight infection.
1. Willow Bud Cold Vinegar Tossing Recipe Ingredients: Willow buds, sesame oil, salt, scallions, garlic, fragrant vinegar, as needed. Instructions: ① Wash and dry the willow buds, boil water in a pot with a little salt, put the willow buds into boiling water and blanch them, then immerse them in cold water for 20 minutes before changing to clean cold water and immersing them for another 20 minutes, drain and dry. ② Chop scallions into scallion segments and garlic into garlic minced pieces.
③ Arrange the blanched and chilled willow buds in a dish, season with scallion segments, garlic minced pieces, salt, fragrant vinegar and drizzle with sesame oil, toss to combine.
2. Willow Bud and Tofu Cold Vinegar Tossing Recipe Ingredients: Willow buds, braised tofu, sesame oil, salt, scallions, garlic, fragrant vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, as needed. Instructions: ① Process the willow buds as above and blanch/chill them. Cut the tofu into small cubes. ② Chop scallions into scallion segments and garlic into garlic minced pieces. ③ Mix the willow buds with tofu, season with scallion segments, garlic minced pieces, salt, fragrant vinegar, soy sauce and sugar, then drizzle with sesame oil, toss to combine.
3. Willow Bud and Egg Pancake Recipe Ingredients: Willow buds, flour, eggs, vegetable oil, salt, scallions, pepper, as needed. Instructions: ① Process the willow buds as above and chop them finely; chop scallions into scallion segments. ② Pour flour into a large bowl, add chopped willow buds, crack in eggs, add salt, scallions and pepper, mix well to form a willow bud batter. ③ Heat a frying pan with vegetable oil, pour in the willow bud batter, spread it out, fry until both sides are golden yellow to form willow bud and egg pancakes, remove from heat.
Note: 1. Willow buds have a slightly bitter taste, so when making dishes, you must remove the bitterness and astringency beforehand. 2. It is best to harvest young buds before the willow flowers bloom, if they have grown leaves, they will be old and difficult to chew, and the bitterness will be more intense and harder to swallow. 3. Willow buds can be steeped in water for tea, select freshly sprouted buds, soak in boiling water, use as a substitute for tea, the tea water is emerald green and fragrant, you can use 15-30 grams each time. 4. Although willow buds are a delicious spring vegetable, they are still not ordinary ingredients, so you need to carefully consider the suitability and should not be indiscriminate, it is not appropriate to eat blindly. Because of its cold nature and certain medicinal properties, it should not be consumed in large quantities at once and should avoid overeating. Generally, 150-200 grams can be eaten, and people with cold constitutions, weak constitutions, poor digestive function, digestive tract diseases, pregnant women, the elderly and children should eat less or avoid eating it.
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