Duxingcai, also known as pepper grass, home duxingcai, and hedge mustard, is an annual dicotyledonous herb in the Brassicaceae family. It is a salad vegetable favored by people in Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The tender leaves can be used for cold salads, soups, seasonings, ingredients, and pickling. The Korean people in our country often pickle tender duxingcai shoots for consumption.
First, environmental requirements:
1. Temperature
Duxingcai prefers cool climate and is a semi-cold-resistant vegetable. The seeds can germinate at 7-8°C, and the appropriate temperature for germination is 20-25°C. The suitable temperature for growth is 15-20°C. High temperatures above 28°C are not conducive to the growth of duxingcai, so it needs to be cultivated in cool seasons.
2. Light
The light requirement is not strict. Strong light results in more pungent leaves. Duxingcai is a long-day plant. Short-day conditions promote nutrient growth and delay bolting, resulting in high-quality produce. In contrast, under conditions of high temperature and long days, early bolting and low yield occur.
3. Soil and Water
It is suitable for cultivation in soil with rich organic matter, especially with sufficient nitrogen fertilizer, which delays bolting and improves yield and quality. The suitable pH for duxingcai growth is 6-6.8. The appropriate soil moisture content is 80%.
Second, utilization of duxingcai:
1. Medicinal use
(1) Duxingcai seeds are called Tingli Zi in traditional Chinese medicine. They have a pungent and bitter taste and a cold nature. They have the functions of clearing the lungs, eliminating phlegm, stopping cough, relieving asthma, and promoting diuresis to reduce swelling.
(2) It is used for phlegm-dampness-induced asthma, facial edema, and abdominal water accumulation, with a dosage of 5-10 grams.
(3) It is used to treat chronic pulmonary heart disease complicated by heart failure. The ground seeds are taken in 3-6 grams, divided into 3 doses per day. After 4 days of medication, the urine output increases, edema subsides, and significant reduction of heart failure can be seen in 2-3 weeks.
(4) Ground seeds, boiled with water and used for washing the hair, can treat childhood alopecia.
2. Edible use
(1) As a seasoning, it is added to fish, meat, vegetables, and soups to make the dishes spicy and fragrant, and to stimulate appetite.
(2) It can be pickled and has antibacterial and preservative effects, extending the shelf life of food.
(3) Wrinkled leaf varieties can be used as decoration for salads or side dishes in Western cuisine.
(4) It can be used for cold salads. The tender stems and leaves are blanched in hot water, drained, and cut into sections. They are then mixed with salt, monosodium glutamate, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar for a refreshing taste.
(5) The vegetable can be washed, cut into sections, and stir-fried with meat or sausages.
