4 types of wild vegetables grow abundantly in Vietnam, highly valued abroad as ginseng and bird’s nest

Watercress

Recently, many people have been surprised to learn the selling price of a tray of watercress in Japan – a wild fruit in Vietnam is 700,000 VND/kg, then if they knew that another wild vegetable that Vietnamese people are “forgetting” is being hunted by people in many countries. That wild vegetable that grows like grass is watercress. This is a rustic vegetable that is nicknamed “farmer” because it is very easy to live, growing abundantly in gardens, along roadsides, rice fields, and even the most arid places.

Watercress has juicy exterior, with creeping stem on the ground with slightly pink-red color, smooth with leaves growing in opposite pairs at nodes or at the tip, and watercress flowers are yellow or red and very beautiful.

Watercress has a distinctive, refreshing and slightly sour taste. Although called a vegetable, in Vietnam, people often only consider watercress as a wild plant and use it only as a limited leafy vegetable, sometimes even used as animal feed.

In many European countries, watercress is highly appreciated. They use it in quite popular dishes, the Dutch use watercress to make pickles, the French also like watercress and process it into many delicious dishes, or in the US, they have watercress mixed with oil and vinegar salad…

Especially, in traditional Chinese medicine, this vegetable is considered the “elixir of longevity” and is used to treat many diseases.

According to research by American and Australian scientists, watercress contains more omega-3 fatty acids than other leafy vegetables. It is one of the very few plant species that contains long-chain EPA omega-3, which is very effective in preventing cardiovascular diseases and enhancing the immune system. It is also a vegetable that contains many vitamins (mainly vitamins A, C, and some B vitamins along with carotenoids), as well as essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron…

Chinese Lantern

The scientific name of Chinese lantern is Physalis angulata. They have other familiar names in Vietnam such as: bompop, thulu canh, bumbup or lantern. Chinese lantern is a herbaceous plant, belonging to the Cà (nightshade) family, originating from tropical American countries and growing like a weed.

Chinese lanterns thrive in tropical climates and are often found growing wild on both sides of the road, on the edge of fields, in gardens, on meadows, or in wastelands. In addition, Chinese lanterns are also found near forests at altitudes of less than 1,500m above sea level.

Amaranth

Amaranth is a popular vegetable that is easy to grow and eat in the summer. It is known as the “vegetable of longevity” because it contains many nutrients that are good for the body.

Amaranth is a food suitable for people of all ages, from children to the elderly. It is rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin K, which can promote blood clotting and blood production, help maintain normal heart function, prevent muscle cramps. For middle-aged and older people, anemic patients, this is an excellent choice to supplement their diet.

In addition, amaranth is considered a natural calcium supplement for children. Amaranth leaves are rich in calcium and protein, the calcium content in this vegetable is higher than that in shrimp, and is easily absorbed by the body. The calcium in this vegetable helps to strengthen bones and teeth, prevent osteoporosis. Therefore, it is very good for children and the elderly to eat this vegetable.

Water Spinach

Water spinach has mild stimulant effect, plant chemicals, antioxidant effect, diuretic effect, helps with phlegm and aids digestion.

Traditional medicine in some countries use water spinach to support patients with tuberculosis, low joints, back pain, anemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reduced visual acuity, gallstones.

A study conducted at Ulster University (UK) concluded that Chinese lanterns contain a compound called phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), which can prevent DNA damage in white blood cells, and DNA damage in white blood cells can trigger cancer processes. Therefore, Chinese lantern has the ability to fight against cancer.