Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional festivals - What are the condiments? Talk about their chemical composition and uses respectively.

What are the condiments? Talk about their chemical composition and uses respectively.

Condiments are not only used in diet to spice up appetite, but also contain various nutrients and are indispensable substances in diet.

Condiments are closely related to human health. For example, salt is the main source of inorganic salts in human body; Monosodium glutamate contains sodium glutamate; Vinegar can soften plant fiber, promote the absorption of sugar, phosphorus and calcium, and protect vitamin C. Sugar is the main source of heat energy in human body and can also protect the liver. Onion, ginger and garlic all contain nutrients such as protein, sugar and vitamins, and also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects.

salt

Salt has the reputation of "the king of all kinds of flavors". The main functions of salt in cooking are:

● Fresh. Because salt has a refreshing effect on umami substances, dishes without salt or with less salt are tasteless, which is why people often say "salty taste".

● Keep the original flavor. In order to maintain the original flavor of raw materials, some foods should be salted before cooking, such as chicken, duck, meat, fish, shrimp, green bamboo shoots, cucumber and so on. Pickling off some water can keep the basic taste of raw materials unchanged.

● Save. Wash the food raw materials, cut them into pieces or pieces, and sprinkle some salt to keep them fresh for a short time.

● Sterilization and antisepsis. Salt is an electrolyte, which has a strong osmotic effect, that is, a strong dehydration effect. Bacteria on food are killed by dehydration of salt, thus playing the role of anti-corrosion and anti-deterioration.

soy

Soy sauce is a condiment that people often eat, and it is also the earliest traditional condiment invented by China. It has a history of more than 3000 years.

Soy sauce is fermented from soybean or bean cake, bran and other raw materials, which has a special flavor, brown or reddish brown, shiny but not black. Soy sauce tastes delicious, mellow and palatable, and its aroma is slightly sweet.

The composition of soy sauce is complicated, besides salt, there are many kinds of amino acids, sugars, organic acids, pigments, spices and so on. Soy sauce is salty and delicious. When cooking dishes, it can increase the taste and color of dishes, increase the flavor of food and promote appetite.

Noodles with Chili sauce

Chili sauce noodles are made by baking peppers first, then grinding them into pieces and mashing them. Paste Chili noodles keep the bright red and spicy taste of fresh peppers, and can be preserved for a long time.

Paste Chili noodles can be used to make all kinds of delicacies, snacks and cold dishes. Seasonings such as paste Chili noodles can also be dipped in salt, and then dipped in clear soup, beef powder, beef mutton powder and so on. It can not only remove the fishy smell, but also maintain the original flavor of the soup.

vinegar

Sweet and sour vinegar has the effects of promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, promoting digestion, relieving swelling, softening hardness, detoxicating and killing insects, and treating tinea and sores. Vinegar was used as medicine in ancient times, and it is usually cited as medicine, which can be taken orally or used externally, and can also be used to process traditional Chinese medicine. As a condiment, vinegar not only has seasoning function, but also can increase gastric acid, promote appetite, help digestion, and has certain sterilization effect, and can also remove the fishy smell of food, making food more delicious and unique. But vinegar should not be eaten more.

sugar

White sugar is extracted from the stem juice of sugarcane, while soft sugar is extracted from the beet root. Both of them are sweet and flat, and have the effect of strengthening the spleen and moistening the lungs. But white sugar doesn't have the effect of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis like brown sugar. Eating sugar can increase heat energy, but eating too much will cause loss of appetite and indigestion, especially if you like sweets for a long time, which is harmful to your health. The elderly and patients with hypertension, arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease should not eat more. Proper consumption of white sugar can benefit qi and strengthen the spleen, while excessive consumption has the side effect of dampness and phlegm.

Saltiness: Saltiness is the first of all flavors. Its function is to remove the fishy smell, refresh and relieve boredom, and highlight the delicious taste of food.

Sweetness: Sweet condiments include all kinds of sugar, honey, jam and so on. Sweet seasoning is second only to salty taste, which can refresh and relieve boredom and inhibit the bitterness in the raw materials of dishes.

Acid: Acid condiments include vinegar and ketchup. Vinegar has a strong ability to remove fishy smell and greasy taste, and can promote the decomposition of calcium in food, which is indispensable for cooking all kinds of fish.

Spicy: Spicy condiments include pepper, onion, ginger and garlic. Spicy can relieve boredom, help digestion, and stimulate appetite.

Fresh: umami condiments include monosodium glutamate, shrimp and chicken essence. It rarely makes some tasteless raw materials stand out, which is indispensable for food.

Fragrance: Fragrant condiments include all kinds of wine, coriander, essence, sauce, peanut, osmanthus, rose, fennel, star anise and Amomum villosum. Incense can dilute the fishy smell and remove the peculiar smell.

Ginger: It can warm the stomach, regulate gastrointestinal function and stop vomiting. When caught in the cold and rain, soak a bowl of brown sugar ginger soup and take it while it is hot, which can dispel cold evil.

Garlic onion: Garlic onion can prevent respiratory infectious diseases, such as influenza, whooping cough and measles. After washing onions with clear water, eating them raw can strengthen the stomach and promote appetite.

Salt: In case of food poisoning, after drinking 0.5% light salt boiled water, you can dig your throat with your fingers to induce vomiting, which can alleviate the symptoms of poisoning; Drinking 1 cup of light salt boiled water every morning can relieve constipation; Soaking fruits and vegetables in salt water can disinfect and avoid intestinal diseases.

Vinegar: Vinegar can sterilize and strengthen the stomach. When biliary tract or biliary ascaris causes acute abdominal pain, drinking 1 cup of hot vinegar can relieve the pain; Fumigating rooms with vinegar can prevent viral infectious diseases such as influenza, meningitis and measles.

Pepper: After exogenous cold, add pepper to a bowl of hot soup noodles and drink it while it is hot, which has the effect of sweating and driving away the cold.

Zanthoxylum bungeanum: It has the functions of relieving pain and expelling worms, invigorating stomach and diuresis, and can eliminate breast swelling and ascites.

Douchi: It can clear away heat and relieve exterior syndrome, diminish inflammation and detoxify. Stir-fried lobster sauce with green onion and ginger can cure cold, fever and headache.

Vinegar also has the function of disinfection and sterilization. Cold dishes mixed with vinegar are hygienic and refreshing; Fumigating rooms with vinegar can sterilize and prevent influenza; Using 40% vinegar aqueous solution every day and washing your hair after heating can prevent hair loss and dandruff; Mix lime powder with vinegar and apply it to armpit twice a day to treat body odor.

Put some salt in the dish properly, which is both seasoning and beneficial to human health. The main function of salt is to regulate the osmotic balance between cells and blood and normal water and salt metabolism. When sweating, adding salt properly can prevent the lack of trace elements in the body. Under normal circumstances, it is easy to keep a balance between the total amount of water and salt consumed by the human body and the total amount of water and salt discharged. However, in some special cases, this balance may be destroyed and problems may arise. For example, when people suffer from acute gastroenteritis, the water they drink cannot be absorbed into the blood, but is discharged with feces, while the water in the body is still discharged from the body through breathing, sweat and urine, resulting in severe dehydration. At this time, in addition to drug treatment, patients should be injected with some normal saline to maintain the balance of water metabolism. For another example, in intense physical labor and high temperature operation, a lot of salt in the body is excreted with sweat.

Eating more peppers can prevent aging.

Scientists have found that peppers are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A and protein. Eating more peppers can delay human aging.

Marta Oena, a nutrition and diet expert at the Mexican Institute of Social Security, said that studies have shown that pepper has an anticoagulant effect, which can make blood circulation smoother and prevent heart disease. In addition, pepper can also improve digestive function, reduce cholesterol content and treat influenza.

In some countries, people eat peppers to prevent parasites. For example, before the colonial period, Americans killed worms, roundworms and amoeba by eating peppers, because the heat and spicy energy produced by peppers in the body were the "strong enemies" of parasites.

However, Oena said that excessive consumption of Chili peppers can lead to gastritis, which is harmful to health.

kumquat

It can regulate qi, relieve depression, eliminate phlegm and relieve bloating, and sober up. Compendium of Materia Medica calls it "reducing qi and increasing diaphragm." "Life Taste Diet Spectrum" also said: "Kumquat can strengthen the spleen, remove filth, eliminate phlegm and promote digestion." Whether qi stagnation type abdominal distension or food stagnation type abdominal distension, it is advisable to drink kumquat soup or make tea. In the past, people used to make kumquat cakes and chew one or two pieces when they were bloating.

Bergamot

It can regulate qi, resolve phlegm and help digestion. In Ben Feng Jingyuan, it is said that it is "specially designed to break stagnant qi". "Notes on Materia Medica" also said: "bergamot, you are good at regulating qi and quickly diaphragmatic." "Life Taste Diet Spectrum" also says that it can "wake up the stomach, eliminate phlegm, eliminate pathogenic factors, promote digestion and relieve pain." Therefore, anyone who has abdominal distension, regardless of qi stagnation or food stagnation, should use 12 ~ 15g of fresh bergamot or 6g of dry product to brew with boiling water instead of drinking tea.

areca

It can relieve flatulence, digestion and hangover. "Drug Heart Method" says: "Betel nut, bitter to break stagnation, pungent to dispel evil, specially to break stagnation." The Record of He Lin Yu once pointed out: "People in Lingnan use betel nuts instead of tea, and drunkenness can sober up. Chew it after drinking, except for phlegm, and the rest are solved; When you are full, you will be hungry. When you are full, you will eat again, and your diet will soon disappear. " All patients with qi stagnation or food stagnation and abdominal distension are suitable. However, betel nut is a waste of energy after all, and it is suitable for people with strong body to eat for a short time.

Small carrot

It can strengthen the stomach, promote digestion and relax the middle energizer. "Four Tones of Materia Medica" contains: "Ordinary people eat more, chew and swallow." "Compendium of Materia Medica" also said: Radish "is very effective in swallowing acid, relieving stagnation and hangover." It can be seen that radish is especially suitable for people with food stagnation and abdominal distension, or juicing and drinking, or decocting in water. In addition to fresh radish, radish seeds, radish leaves and old radish roots (that is, the old roots of radish) are also suitable for people with food stagnation and abdominal distension.

coriander

It has the function of promoting digestion and reducing qi, and is often used to treat food stagnation in traditional Chinese medicine. Cui Yuxi's "Food Classics" said: "Regulating food and reducing qi." Herbal Medicine for Dietotherapy says, "Edible food can eliminate cereal, cure intestinal wind, and wrap food with hot cakes". "Daily Materia Medica" also believes that coriander "eliminates the grain and turns qi, and clears the large intestine and binds qi." Therefore, it is especially suitable for people with food accumulation and abdominal distension.

green vegetables

Can dredge the stomach, whether it is qi stagnation and abdominal distension or food stagnation and abdominal distension. Vegetables are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, which can stimulate gastrointestinal peristalsis, promote defecation, help digestion and eliminate abdominal fullness and discomfort.

cowpea

It contains a lot of dietary fiber and vitamins, which is helpful for digestion and is especially suitable for people with food stagnation and abdominal distension. "Sichuan Traditional Chinese Medicine" records that "cowpea can strengthen the spleen and stomach, promote digestion, and treat indigestion and abdominal distension." Chengdu's Handbook of Common Herbs Treatment also introduces the treatment methods for indigestion, abdominal distension and belching: "Raw cowpea in proper amount, chew it slowly, or mash it with cold boiled water."

hawthorn

Can help digestion, especially the digestion of meat. "Forage in South Yunnan" said: "Eliminate meat stagnation and reduce qi." "Daily Materia Medica" also includes: "digestion and stagnation, promoting qi and relieving depression, invigorating stomach and diaphragm, eliminating blood and dispersing qi." Compendium of Materia Medica once recorded a case of a neighbor's child who ate hawthorn because of yellow swelling and abdominal distension. "After he was full, he spat and recovered his health." Anyone who has accumulated food and abdominal distension should eat more hawthorn.

Germinated barley

It can harmonize middle energizer, promote digestion, eliminate stagnation and reduce qi, and is suitable for people with abdominal distension. "The Origin of Medicine" once said: "tonify spleen and stomach deficiency and cold, and widen stomach and intestines." "Herbal Yan Hui" also said: "Malt, if it is supplemented, it can be beneficial, if it is beneficial, it can be supplemented. For example, if the abdomen is full and the diaphragm is depressed, it will be very effective to switch the qi. "

red bayberry

Meng Wei, a food doctor in the Tang Dynasty, thought that Yangmei "can harmonize the five internal organs and clear the stomach." Modern "Illustration of Chinese Medicinal Plants" also said: "It is effective to treat heart and stomach pain." "Quanzhou Materia Medica" contains one side: "To cure gastrointestinal fullness, bayberry is salted for later use. The longer the time, the better. Take a few boiled water clothes when using it."

dance

Can strengthen spleen and promote digestion, and is suitable for patients with dyspepsia and abdominal distension. Folk hops 10 ~ 15g, used to make tea, are effective for abdominal distension caused by qi stagnation or food stagnation.

perilla leaf

It is a kind of seasoning, which can detoxify fish and crabs, and has the effect of regulating qi and relieving bloating. "Rihuazi Materia Medica" says: "Treat heart bloating". "Compendium of Materia Medica" contains: "Perilla leaves have a wide range of qi." "Herbal Yan Hui" also said that it "dispels cold, clears lung-qi, widens middle-qi, calms fetal qi, stops qi stagnation and eliminates phlegm, and is also a miraculous medicine for treating qi." Therefore, it is especially suitable for people with qi stagnation and abdominal distension. You can take10g of perilla leaves and add water or make tea with boiling water instead.

Amomum fruit

As a common aromatic condiment, it can promote qi circulation, regulate the stomach and relieve bloating, and is suitable for people with abdominal distension who don't want to eat. Li Mingshizhen once said that it "regulates qi, relieves depression, dispels cold and reduces swelling". It is especially suitable for qi stagnation and abdominal distension, especially those with cold abdominal distension. Amomum villosum is 3 ~ 5g a day, which can be mashed, decocted in water, or brewed with boiling water to make tea.

cardamum

It is an aromatic and stomach-invigorating condiment, which can promote qi circulation, warm the stomach, promote digestion, relieve stomach pain and relieve flatulence, and has the same effect as Amomum villosum. Anyone with abdominal distension caused by qi stagnation or food stagnation should use 3 ~ 5g of cardamom, which should be decocted in water instead of drinking tea.