In modern times, we often say "abundant harvest", however, back in ancient times, our ancestors talked about "six grains", and the staple food that was eliminated was wild rice. Before the Tang Dynasty, the staple food eaten by emperors was mushroom rice, but after the Song Dynasty, the Chinese gradually eliminated it, and even ate its mutated stems, and now it is even known as "local rich rice", and some people even call it the "traditional health food" of the United States
Mushrooms are perennial grasses that are not more closely related to grains such as rice. Growing on the edges of lakes and marshy areas, this water-loving plant also has high requirements for a warm environment, and its leaves are similar to those of the general pampas reed, which can grow up to 25 meters or more.
The root system of the mushroom is intricately hidden underground. In winter, the whole plant dies, and in the spring of the following year, new shoots will grow from the underground root system and develop into new plants. It is through this way of growing that mushrooms can be passed down from generation to generation.
Although the wild mushroom relies on the root system** to grow, it also heads like rice. This process takes place in the summer and autumn of each year and can also be referred to as seed setting. Unlike rice, the seeds produced by the mushroom are black-brown and have a more slender shape, which is what the ancients called and used as a staple food.
The mushroom's ability to produce seeds indicates that it is capable of flowering and fertilization. Although the flowers produced by the mushroom are small and conical in shape, the stamens and pistils are usually on the same plant. The female flowers are usually located at the top and the male flowers are located at the bottom, and after successful fertilization, they can head and set seeds.
The consumption of wild rice in ancient China can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago. In the records of Zhou Li, six grains are mentioned, one of which is the soybean rice. Throughout the Zhou Dynasty, wild rice has always been the staple food of people, such as Huzhou in Zhejiang, which is famous for its wild city.
In addition to being called Qiang, the wild rice also has the name of carving Hu, and cooking the rice of Diaohu has been recorded in "Chu Ci". During the Warring States Period, Hucheng County in Huzhou was named after its abundance of mushrooms.
However, from the Song Dynasty onwards, the frequency of consumption of wild rice began to decline, and it was gradually replaced by coconut rice. Although wild rice is no longer common, there are still some accounts of it, and some literati and writers of the Ming Dynasty have also left scenes of eating wild rice.
The reason for the gradual disappearance of wild rice is a pathogen called Wild Powdery Mildew. This pathogen is harmful to the heading and seeding stage of the mushroom, during which the mycelium of the powdery mildew invades the stalk of the mushroom, parasitizes and ingests nutrients, and finally forms the mushroom.
After the Song Dynasty, population growth led to a wave of reclamation of lakes and fields, which led to the transformation of lakes and swamp areas, and the removal of mushrooms. At the same time, people's attention to the white rice has gradually increased, so that the wild rice has gradually been eliminated, and people's understanding of it has become increasingly blurred.
Although it gradually disappeared in China, in North America, the Indians retained the Xi of eating it on a large scale until the arrival of white Europeans. The Indians collected wild rice by tying the plants in boats and beating them, a tradition that continued until the arrival of the whites.
When white people first saw how wild rice was harvested, they mistook it for wild rice or water oats, which led to the name "Indian rice". This misinformation has led to the blurring of people's memories of wild rice, and the inability to even understand the wild rice mentioned in ancient texts.
Now, a team of researchers from Huzhou's local agricultural technology department and Zhejiang University is conducting breeding activities to try to breed wild rice varieties that can be tasseled and seeded through new biotechnology. Although the current production is not high, researchers believe that this characteristic of wild rice is expected to change in the future.
Despite the low yield, researchers are confident in its unique nutritional value. Compared with traditional cereals, wild rice has higher starch swelling, twice the crude protein content of rice, and is richer in trace elements and vitamins, which is a low glycemic index food. As a result, wild rice promises to become a healthier staple food choice.
Although wild rice was gradually phased out in ancient times due to low yields, efforts are being made to revive it with the support of modern technology. Whether it is the staple food of the ancients or the modern scientific research attempts, it reflects people's unremitting pursuit of plant utilization. Even though there has not yet been a large-scale revival of wild rice, at least it is still on people's tables as a vegetable, giving full play to its edible potential.
Whether it is the ancient Huzhou Hucheng or the traditional harvesting methods of the Indians, they all outline a rich picture of food for us. Perhaps, in the future, with the continuous development of technology, wild rice will once again become a delicious choice on our tables, continuing the continuous wonderful journey between traditional and modern food.