There is a "strange" vegetable that grows abundantly in the northern provinces of Vietnam, and is "hunted" by many people abroad despite its high price.
The scientific name of the neem tree is Toona sinensis (A. Juss) Roem, 20 - 30 meters high, umbrella-shaped canopy, pungent garlic-smelling bark, pinnate compound leaves, white flower clusters, oval or nearly egg-shaped shiny brown fruit.
Young shoots of the Chinese neem tree (also known as Chinese clematis or Chinese clematis) are very popular with Chinese consumers, who buy them to eat as a vegetable.
The Xoan Hai tree grows naturally in many northern border provinces of our country such as Lai Chau, Son La, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Thai Nguyen, Lang Son... and the southern provinces of China. This is a light-loving tree, grows quickly, and sheds its leaves in the dry season; flowers from May to July, and the fruit ripens around October to December.
According to Sohu, in China, the neem tree is very popular in the provinces of Sichuan, Anhui, Shaanxi, Yunnan... Local people grow neem trees only to harvest the buds to sell.
The reason this type of sprout is expensive is because it has a very special aroma when eaten, and can only be eaten in the spring, because if left until spring, its taste will not be the same as before, and it can also be said that it is no longer edible. Therefore, the Chinese have a saying: "Before the rain, the sprouts of the neem tree are soft as silk; after the rain, the sprouts are hard as wood."
Wild vegetables are considered "specialties".
In particular, the nutritional value of spring onion is higher than other vegetables, they contain a lot of fiber, if eaten regularly will be very good for the body. Spring onion sprouts have the effect of clearing heat, detoxifying, stopping bleeding, killing bacteria, treating enteritis. Recent discoveries about this vegetable also show that it has the effect of reducing blood sugar levels, very beneficial for health.
Besides, this vegetable is rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid and other vitamins, as well as protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals.
The type of pennywort has a light garlic-like aroma and pinnate leaves. It grows abundantly in the northern border provinces of our country.
According to China's Sohu news site, a few years ago, neem sprouts were sold in this country at a not-so-cheap price, around 140 yuan/kg (480,000 VND/kg); but since last year, they have been sold at a higher price, around 180 yuan/kg (625,000 VND/kg). Notably, the price of around 180 yuan/kg is not the most expensive. Notably, at a vegetable market on Nanjing Road (Shanghai), neem sprouts are sold at 240 yuan/kg (820,000 VND/kg).
Because of its rarity and high price, neem sprouts are not for the masses, Chinese consumers usually only buy small quantities to try.
The slightly reddish brown sprouts of the Chinese clematis are very expensive. The green sprouts are much cheaper because they don't taste as good when cooked.
To ensure health before processing into food, it is necessary to soak the neem sprouts in salt water.
Although this vegetable is good for health, the amount of nitrate contained in the leaves of the neem tree is also high, especially in old leaves, eating it can cause poisoning to the body. Therefore, before using the red neem tree shoots to make delicious dishes, it is necessary to have a preliminary step to remove nitrate.
Therefore, before cooking, soak the neem sprouts in diluted salt water and blanch them in boiling water. Doing so will both remove toxins and retain the fresh flavor of the vegetable.
There is also a view that blanching vegetables will lose their delicious taste. If you do not want to blanch them in boiling water, you will have to rub them with white salt several times and soak them in diluted salt water before cooking.
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