It is the "water ginseng" in the vegetable world and is now on the market! Many northerners have never eaten it.

Speaking of wild rice stem, southern friends are more familiar with it. Under the emerald green coat is a jade-like body, green and white, and tastes crisp and delicious.

What kind of vegetable is wild rice? What is its nutritional value? I heard that eating the wrong vegetable may cause parasites! In this article, we will talk about wild rice.

Wild rice is actually a "deformed child"

Zizania latifolia, also known as water bamboo shoots and water melon, is an important aquatic vegetable in my country. Together with lotus root, water celery, water gorgon (euryale ferox), water chestnut, water shield, and water caltrop, it is known as the "Eight Water Immortals of Jiangnan" and is also known as the "Ginseng in Water".

Image source: provided by the author

Many people think that Zizania latifolia is just an ordinary vegetable, but in fact it is a "deformed child" of Zizania latifolia. It is a swollen structure at the base of the stem formed by the specific symbiosis and interaction between Ustilago farfara and Zizania latifolia of the Poaceae family.

Let's talk about wild fodder first. Wild fodder is relatively unfamiliar to many people. In the Zhou Dynasty (221 BC), wild fodder seeds were used as one of the six main edible crops (sorghum, millet, sorghum, wheat, and foxtail millet). They could bloom and bear fruit normally to produce wild fodder rice, which is wild fodder rice.

The stems of Zizania latifolia were originally very thin. Around 202 BC, people discovered that the stems of some Zizania latifolia individuals became thicker and swollen after being infected by unknown parasites. The swollen stems were white and tender, and tasted very sweet. The fungus that can infect Zizania latifolia and cause such changes is Ustilago officinalis, which survives in the body of Zizania latifolia stems for a long time in the form of mycelium. When it develops to a certain stage, the fungus destroys the apical meristem of Zizania latifolia, prevents the plant from flowering, and induces the production of Zizania latifolia.

Simply put, wild rice is actually the result of "grains turning into vegetables". Wild rice originally blooms and bears fruit, but after being infected by smut, it can no longer bear fruit. The originally thin stems will gradually swell under the action of smut and become "deformed". This is the wild rice we eat!

According to the harvesting season,茭白 is divided into two categories: single-season茭 and double-season茭. Single-season茭 is also called one-ripening茭, which is harvested every autumn and can be harvested continuously for 3 to 4 years after planting once; double-season茭 is also called twice-ripening茭, which can be harvested once in the autumn of the same year, overwinter through perennial roots in winter, and then can be harvested again in the summer of the following year.

How nutritious is wild rice stem?

The tender stems of fresh wild rice stems are the main edible part. They are milky white in appearance, tender in texture, less in fiber, and have a fresh and fragrant taste. They are rich in sugar and amino acids, so they taste sweet and fresh. They are delicious whether they are blanched and served cold, or stir-fried or with meat.

In terms of nutritional ingredients, wild rice contains dietary fiber, mineral potassium, and a small amount of vitamin C. The insoluble dietary fiber content is 1.9 g/100 g, which is similar to okra, garlic sprouts, and bamboo shoots. The mineral potassium content is not bad, at 209 mg/100 g, and the sodium content is low, only 5.8 mg/100 g, which is quite friendly for friends who need to control blood pressure. However, its vitamin C content is only 5 mg/100 g, which is really too low. It will be even lower after cooking, so don't expect to supplement vitamin C by eating wild rice.

Wild rice also contains active ingredients such as flavonoids, phenols and anthocyanins, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have mentioned that wild rice can inhibit the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the human body and has the effect of preventing and treating hypertension and arteriosclerosis.

As for the calories of wild rice stem, every 100 grams of edible part has only 26 kcal (about 1 wild rice stem), which is about the same as Chinese cabbage. This is good news for those who need to lose weight. As long as the cooking method is less oil and salt, you don't have to worry about gaining weight even if you eat more.

Image: The edible part of one wild rice stem is about 100 grams. Image source: provided by the author

Don't eat wild rice raw

Although wild rice stems are delicious and sweet, they cannot be eaten raw directly! There are two main reasons.

1

High in oxalic acid

The oxalic acid content of water bamboo shoots is not low, generally between 300 and 400 mg/100 g. Excessive intake of oxalic acid in the diet will not only affect the absorption and utilization of minerals, but also increase the risk of kidney stones.

Before eating wild rice stem, you can blanch it for 1-3 minutes before cooking. This is because if you fry it directly, the oxalic acid removal rate in wild rice stem is very low, the soluble oxalic acid removal rate is 0%, and the total oxalic acid removal rate is only 0.6%. If you blanch it for 1 minute, the soluble oxalic acid removal rate of wild rice stem is 16.8%, and the total oxalic acid removal rate is 10.7%; while if you boil it for 3 minutes, the soluble oxalic acid removal rate is 37.3%, and the total oxalic acid removal rate can reach 31.7%.

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Some people may worry that blanching will cause the loss of nutrients in wild rice stems, but there is no need to worry about this. After all, wild rice stems themselves contain very few heat-sensitive vitamins, with a vitamin C content of only 5mg/100g and a vitamin B content of no more than 0.1mg/100g. The loss of this little bit of nutrition has little effect on a balanced diet, and you can make up for it by eating a few more bites of other fruits and vegetables.

2

Beware of parasites

Wild rice stems are aquatic plants and may have parasites, mainly worms. If eaten raw, you are likely to be infected with worms. People infected with worms will experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever, allergies and edema. In severe cases, it can cause intestinal obstruction and even death. Children infected with worms will also be affected in their physical and intellectual development. Cooking them before eating can avoid such problems.

Therefore, for safety reasons, do not eat water chestnuts raw. It is best to wash them thoroughly and blanch them. You can then eat them cold, stir-fry, braise them, or make soup, and they all taste good.

How to store wild rice stem?

When buying, choose wild rice with shells, smooth surface, no black spots, and full of water. If the size is similar, you can choose a heavier one, which often has a higher water content and tastes better. Wild rice with black spots is not bad, but it is "old" and has released spores of smut fungus, so the taste of such wild rice is poor.

Because the internal water content of wild rice is high and the respiration is very vigorous after harvesting, it is very easy to lose water and age, and it is easy to have yellowing of the skin, lignification of the flesh, rot and browning of the cut surface, and even mold, so you must pay attention to the storage of the purchased wild rice. Fresh wild rice can generally be stored at room temperature for no more than 3 days, and the best storage temperature is -1~1℃, which can extend the storage time.

Summarize:

Wild rice stems are the enlarged and deformed stems of wild rice, which are parasitized by smut fungi. They are low in calories, rich in potassium, and can also supplement some dietary fiber. Although they are vegetables from the south, they are gradually appearing in the northern market. Friends who have not eaten them should definitely try their sweetness when they have the chance!

References

[1] Gong Wan, Xiao Zilan, Li Bin, Guo Deping, Zhang Jingze. Evolution of the names of Zizania latifolia diseases and their pathogens[J]. Plant Protection, 2024, 50(2): 252-260286

[2] Dong Guijun, Qiao Yongjin, Wang Chunfang, Liu Chenxia. Research progress on physiological changes and preservation technology of Zizania latifolia after harvest[J]. Preservation and Processing, 2021, 21(9): 133-138

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[4] Xia Wei. Effects of cooking on oxalic acid in vegetables[D]. Suzhou University, 2007.

[5] Zhou Qing, Peng Qingqing, Qiu Jinbo, et al. Research progress in diagnosis and prevention of ginger fasciatus disease[J]. Chinese and Foreign Health Digest, 2014, (23): 108-109.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center