Sorrel is very common in rural areas, especially in front of houses, behind houses and in vegetable gardens. Although it is small, it is eaten as a snack by many rural children. Sorrel is named for its sour taste, commonly known as sour grass, sour mimi, sour sorrel, etc. However, despite its humble appearance, sorrel is extremely valuable. This article will introduce the characteristics, edible value, medicinal value and other uses of sorrel, and further its importance and wide application.
Sorrel is a delicate perennial herb whose stems can grow upright or creeping. The sorrel has a very large number of branches, and due to its creeping growth, its stems and nodes are easy to regenerate roots. Its leaves are made up of three leaflets and one large leaf with an oblong or ovate shape, similar to four-leaf clover, but the sorrel has only three leaves. The sorrel is an evergreen plant that blooms from February to September, and is currently ripe for the fruit. Since sorrel is a sunny plant, it prefers to grow in sunny places, such as vegetable gardens in the countryside or sunny places in the wild. There are also records about sorrel in the "Book of Sketches", such as "sorrel is also known as sour pulp, its leaves are like water weeds, clustered, there are three leaves at the end of the stem, fine yellow flowers are born between the leaves, it is really black, and it is used for picking leaves in summer months".
1. The young stems and leaves of sorrel are edible
The young stems and leaves of sorrel are often used as an ingredient. Children in rural areas like to eat the leaves of sorrel as snacks, and it is recorded in the "Book of Herbal Pictures": "When sorrel is first born and tender, children eat more." Adults, on the other hand, will pick the young stems and leaves of the sorrel and eat it cold or in soup. Since sorrel has a pure, thick sour taste, it is suitable for appetizers and is especially beneficial for those with a bad appetite.
2. Sorrel has medicinal value
Sorrel is a medicinal and edible plant, which can be eaten both as a wild vegetable and as a medicinal herb. As early as the Tang Dynasty, there was a record of sorrel in the Tang Materia Medica. Its taste is sour, cold in nature, and has the effects of clearing heat and dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling, cooling blood and dissipating stasis. In rural areas, people have long found that sorrel has high medicinal value, especially in bruises, snake bites and other aspects have significant effects. Farmers who understand its value often collect the whole grass of sorrel and use it.
3. Sorrel can be used to wipe copperware
Sorrel is rich in oxalic acid, which can be used to wipe the surface of copper to keep it shiny. "The southerners used sorrel to rub stone tools to make them as white as silver", this method of use is mentioned in the "Book of Sketches". In fact, sorrel is not only valuable for food and medicinal purposes, but is also widely used in landscaping. If we look closely, we will see that there is a sorrel in almost all the neighborhoods. Evergreen and seasonal, sorrel adds a touch of greenery to the community environment. Therefore, many people who love bonsai have a soft spot for sorrel and plant it in their homes or yards so that its beauty can be appreciated in all seasons. If you also like potted plants, you might as well go out and pick a few sorrels, they are really beautiful, especially their leaves and small yellow flowers.
It can be seen from this paper that sorrel, as a common rural plant, has important value in edible, medicinal and horticultural greening. Its young stems and leaves can be eaten as a snack or as an ingredient, with an appetizing effect and suitable for those with a poor appetite. In terms of medicinal use, sorrel has the effect of clearing heat and dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling, cooling blood and dispersing stasis, and has a good effect on some trauma and snake bites. In addition, sorrel can also be used to wipe copperware to keep it shiny. And when it comes to horticultural greening, sorrel is an evergreen plant that can add life and beauty to a community or yard.
Although sorrel is small, its value is very high. It plays an important role in the daily life of rural people, becoming a childhood snack, medicinal herb and gardening plant. In the fast-paced city life, it may be difficult for us to appreciate the love and importance that rural people love and value for sorrel. Therefore, we should cherish and attach more importance to every plant in nature, explore their value, and protect and maintain the sustainable development of the ecological environment.