Wild cattail root is a unique traditional Chinese medicine in China. Do you know if wild cattail root can be eaten directly? What are the effects and functions of cattail root? Follow me to learn about the effects and functions of Chinese herbal medicine cattail root!
[Introduction to cattail root]
Cattail root, also known as mat root or swamp grass, is the root of the cattail plant. It has a mild and slightly bitter taste and a cool nature. It belongs to the stomach, bladder, and kidney meridians.
The rootstalk of cattail root is short and thick, with long slender fibrous roots. The stems are clustered, relatively thick and strong, sharply triangular in shape, with two sheaths at the base and no leaves.
Cattail root grows in ditches, ponds, lakesides, and grasslands along rivers. It is widely distributed across the country except for Xinjiang and Tibet.
Wild cattail root cannot be eaten directly and needs to be processed before use.
On Dragon Boat Festival, it is believed that everyone needs to drink a cup of wine in the morning to ward off evil spirits. Drinking and spraying realgar wine is a traditional folk custom of Dragon Boat Festival. There is a saying, "On the fifth day of May, drink realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival."
Because people in ancient times were superstitious about Dragon Boat Festival, which is the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, as it was considered an "evil month and evil day" and the day with the heaviest poisonous gas.
Therefore, on this day, people would cut the harvested cattail root into small pieces, dry them in the sun, mix them with a little realgar, soak them in white wine, and drink it, believing that it could drive away snakes and evil spirits.
[Uses of cattail root]
1. Lighting and repelling mosquitoes
After cattail wax is dried, it can be immersed in oil to make a natural candle that can burn for several hours without extinguishing. If not immersed in oil and directly lit, it will emit a faint fragrance. Placing one near the bed at night will keep mosquitoes away.
2. Medicinal use for stopping bleeding
Cut off a piece of cattail root, tear off the ripe sausage-like part on top, crush it, and apply it to the wound. As long as the wound is not too deep, the bleeding will stop immediately, and it will take at most a few days to form a scar. Its effect is better than many Western medicines.
In addition to stopping bleeding, it can also be used as a medicine to promote urination and relieve abnormal vaginal discharge. It also has certain effects on rheumatism and rheumatoid pain.
3. Weaving and papermaking
In the past, there was a saying in rural areas, "Having cattail weaving skills is better than saving money." After mature cattail leaves are dried, they can be used to weave grass shoes, mats, fans, and cushions, among many other daily necessities.
Diligent rural women would weave many things with cattail at the end of summer. Not only could they be self-sufficient for household use, but they could also sell them at the market to supplement their income.
At the same time, the stems and leaves of cattail can be used to make paper. Unfortunately, this traditional papermaking technique has been forgotten by most people.
