As the saying goes: On the third day of March, shepherd's purse is used as a panacea. Can this "panacea" be eaten? Many people have misunderstood

Introduction:

Friends who live in rural areas should be familiar with shepherd’s purse. This kind of wild vegetable that I have eaten since I was a child is also called hushengcao, guangcao, ground rice and so on. Qingming grass. There are many common sayings about it, the most well-known of which is that on March 3rd, shepherd's purse is a magic pill. So can this "magic pill" be eaten? Many people understand it wrong.

As early as in the Book of Songs, it was recorded: "Who says tea is bitter, it is as sweet as shepherd's purse." This shows that Chinese people have begun to eat shepherd's purse a long time ago. Shepherd's purse is a spring vegetable, which means it is the most delicious around the beginning of spring. In some places, when making spring dishes, people will give shepherd's purse to each other as gifts. At this time, the shepherd's purse has tender leaves and fat roots, and is delicious indeed.

Wild vegetables in spring are very seasonal, such as toon, bracken, bamboo shoots, etc. The same is true for shepherd's purse. The best time to eat is basically about a week. After this time, the taste will be completely different. , but the saying "March 3" actually refers to the third day of March in the lunar calendar. This year the beginning of spring falls on the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, and the eighth day of the second lunar month is the vernal equinox. The most delicious period of shepherd's purse should be between the beginning of spring and the vernal equinox.

Why do people say that shepherd's purse is the panacea on March 3rd instead of February 2nd?

According to the solar terms, it is obvious that shepherd’s purse in February is more delicious and tender, but this saying refers to the third month of the lunar calendar. By March, shepherd’s purse has already become older and the stems are thicker, so how can it still be used? What about being a "magic pill"? In fact, we can find the answer from some ancient poems. As the folk saying goes, shepherd's purse on March 3rd is the elixir. This shepherd's purse actually refers to shepherd's purse flowers, not the shepherd's purse we eat.

People in the Song Dynasty wrote many things about shepherd's purse. For example, Xin Qiji wrote in a poem: "The peaches and plums in the city are worried about the wind and rain, and the spring is shepherd's purse flowers in Xitou." It can also be seen in the poem that it is actually talking about shepherd's purse flowers. There is also a folk saying: "Wearing shepherd's purses in March makes peaches and plums shy of prosperity." It means that young rural women and girls to be married wear shepherd's purse flowers on their heads to pray for good weather and good luck.

In addition, Su Dongpo said in "The Symbol of Things": "On March 3rd, if you collect shepherd's purse flowers and place them on a lamp, moths and mosquitoes will not fly." People use the special fragrance of shepherd's purse flowers to drive away mosquitoes. This shows that shepherd's purse flowers are not just for eating, but also have other wonderful uses.

In our local area, there is an old tradition. Because after the shepherd’s purse flowers are dried, they will have a special fragrance, so the elderly grandmothers will use the shepherd’s purse flowers to sew a small bag and wear it on girls. On the body, it is commonly known as "vanilla bag" to ward off evil spirits.

On the third day of March in the lunar calendar, shepherd’s purse is used as a panacea. In fact, the most prominent role is the shepherd’s purse flower. That is to say, on the third day of March in the lunar calendar, this shepherd’s purse is not only used for food, but Used to repel mosquitoes, ward off evil spirits, etc. In addition, in many places, eating boiled eggs with shepherd's purse on March 3rd is not rigorous enough in a certain sense. It should be said that boiled eggs with shepherd's purse flowers are safer, not shepherd's purse.

So, when you see shepherd’s purse as a panacea on March 3, this panacea does not really make you eat shepherd’s purse, but it plays another value, because the best period for appreciating shepherd’s purse is It is in February, but by March it has actually lost its edible value. The shepherd's purse flower blooms in full bloom in March, and the third of March should refer to the shepherd's purse flower as a panacea. It not only has a special fragrance, but also has good therapeutic value. It can also be eaten, but people don't actually eat it. many.

In addition to Xin Qiji, the great poet Lu You also had a special liking for shepherd's purse. He once wrote: "Shepherd's purse cooked by hand is as beautiful as a pig under the breast." Perhaps what he ate was the real thing. of shepherd's purse, not shepherd's purse flowers.