The Many Benefits and Delicious Dishes of “Tiến Vua” Herb

Not many people know about the vegetable called “rau tiến vua”, or “king’s vegetable” in English. This unique vegetable has a range of culinary and health benefits, which we will explore in this article, along with some delicious recipes.

What is Rau Tiến Vua?

Rau tiến vua, also known as “cần biển” or “công sôi” in Vietnamese, and “Dried Mountain Jelly Vegetable” or “Hongcai” in English, is a vegetable that originates from China and is not yet commonly found in Vietnam. It grows in coastal areas and has soft stems and leaves, about the size of a pinky finger.

Rau tiến vua grows in coastal areas

There are two types of rau tiến vua available in the market:

Dried Rau Tiến Vua: After harvesting, this type of rau tiến vua is dried and packaged in bags. Before cooking, it needs to be soaked in water for about 2-3 hours until it rehydrates and expands.

Pickled Rau Tiến Vua: This type is fresh rau tiến vua that has been pickled and packaged for sale.

Health Benefits of Rau Tiến Vua

Rau Tiến Vua offers a plethora of health benefits, including:

Heart Health

According to research by the Vegetable Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, rau tiến vua has a high nutritional value, containing up to 20 types of amino acids, including essential ones. Consuming rau tiến vua regularly can help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and anemia.

Digestive Health

Traditional Chinese medicine books mention rau tiến vua for its cooling and detoxifying properties. It is rich in dietary fiber, which aids digestion and prevents indigestion and constipation.

Stir-fried rau tiến vua is delicious and nutritious

Skin Health

Rau tiến vua is rich in antioxidants, which can help improve skin elasticity, reduce wrinkles, and promote youthful-looking skin.

Cancer Prevention

Medical studies have shown that phytonutrients in rau tiến vua can inhibit the formation and growth of tumors in the body, reducing the risk of cancers such as breast, stomach, and duodenal cancer.

How to Choose Good Quality Dried Rau Tiến Vua

Dried rau tiến vua

When selecting dried rau tiến vua, look for the following qualities:

– Choose rau tiến vua that has a fresh, light grayish-green color, and even-sized stalks. Avoid those with mold.

– Good quality rau tiến vua will have a distinctive aroma and will not smell musty or odd in any way.

Delicious Recipes with Rau Tiến Vua

Stir-fried Rau Tiến Vua with Shrimp and Squid

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Serves: 2 people

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 squid
• 50g dried rau tiến vua
• 100g fresh shrimp, 2 bulbs of garlic
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, black pepper

Instructions:

Step 1 Prepare the ingredients: Soak the rau tiến vua in water for 40-50 minutes until it expands. Rinse and set aside. Clean the squid and cut into rings. Peel and devein the shrimp. Peel and slice the garlic.

Prepare the ingredients for stir-frying

Step 2 Stir-fry: Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. When the garlic turns fragrant, add the rau tiến vua and stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. Then, add the squid and shrimp. Season with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat.

Result:

Stir-fried rau tiến vua with shrimp and squid

This dish is a delicious and flavorful combination of rau tiến vua, shrimp, and squid.

Rau Tiến Vua Shrimp and Pork Salad

Preparation time: 60 minutes

Serves: 3-4 people

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 250g dried rau tiến vua
• 200g pork
• 200g shrimp
• 1 lime, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 50g rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), 50g mint, 1 tamarind
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar

Instructions:

Step 1 Prepare the ingredients: Cut the rau tiến vua into 3cm long pieces and soak in water for 40-50 minutes until it expands. Rinse and squeeze out the excess water. Pound the ginger, and finely chop the garlic and chili. Wash and cut the rau răm and mint. Extract the juice from the tamarind. Clean the pork and shrimp.

Prepare the ingredients and cook the pork and shrimp

Step 2 Boil the pork: In a pot, boil water with the pounded ginger. Add the pork and cook for 15-20 minutes until it is cooked through. Remove the pork and set aside to cool, then slice it thinly.

Step 3 Boil the shrimp: Use the same pork broth to boil the shrimp. It will take about 7-10 minutes for the shrimp to cook. Remove the shrimp and peel them when they are cool enough to handle.

Step 4 Make the dressing: In a bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of tamarind juice, 1 tablespoon of garlic, and some chili. Stir well to combine.

Step 5 Mix the salad: In a large bowl, add the rau tiến vua and pour half of the dressing over it. Use your hands to mix well and let the rau tiến vua absorb the flavors. Then, add the shrimp and pork, along with the remaining dressing, and mix again. Finally, add the rau răm and mint, and toss to combine. Serve on a plate.

Result:

Rau tiến vua shrimp and pork salad

This salad is a delightful mix of textures and flavors, with the crunchy and sweet rau tiến vua, juicy shrimp, and tender pork, all coated in a tangy and slightly spicy dressing.

Stir-fried Rau Tiến Vua with Beef

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 200g beef
• 50g dried rau tiến vua
• 1 carrot
• Seasonings: garlic, oyster sauce, cooking oil, seasoning powder, salt

Rau tiến vua and beef

Instructions:

Step 1 Prepare the beef: Wash the beef with salt and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Marinate the beef with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce for 15 minutes to enhance its flavor.

Step 2 Prepare the other ingredients: Soak the dried rau tiến vua in water for 2 hours until it expands. Rinse and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Peel and cut the carrot into chunks. Peel and crush the garlic.

Step 3 Stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan. Add half of the crushed garlic and fry until fragrant. Then, add the carrot and rau tiến vua, and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes over medium heat. Season with 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder and mix well. Transfer to a plate.

Add another tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan, along with the remaining crushed garlic. When the garlic turns fragrant, add the marinated beef and stir-fry until it changes color. Put the stir-fried rau tiến vua and carrot back into the pan and mix well. Adjust the seasoning to your taste and turn off the heat.

Result:

Stir-fried rau tiến vua with beef

This stir-fried dish combines the delicious flavors of beef and rau tiến vua, resulting in a savory and satisfying meal.

We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of rau tiến vua and inspired you to try out these delicious recipes.