Rat is a common wild vegetable that often appears in front of and behind houses in rural areas. Although its leaves resemble rat ears, it is generally regarded as a weed, so it is not very popular with its farmer friends. However, farmers who understand the value of rattle grass are very fond of it. Every spring, people are Xi to pick the young leaves of rattle grass and use them to scramble eggs or make Qingtuan and Baba. During the Qing Dynasty, the literati Gu Jingxing recorded the eating method of rattle grass in "Praise of Wild Vegetables", calling it "rattle grass is born in February, the leaves are like rat ears, and rice is pounded into cakes, and the northerners are still cold food". Since the best eating season overlaps with the Qingming Festival, rattle grass is also known as Qingming dish, and the made baba is called Qingming Kueh or Qingming Baba. In my hometown of Hunan, there was a Xi of picking rattle grass to make baba in the first month of the year, and although this tradition is now disappearing, its edible value has always been not negligible.
Rat is not only a delicious wild vegetable, but also a medicinal and edible plant. It is recorded in the "Rihuazi Materia Medica" that Rat Koji has the effects of harmonizing Zhongjiao, invigorating qi, stopping diarrhea, removing phlegm, reducing adverse qi, and removing fever. Therefore, in the countryside, if you accidentally catch a cold and cough in winter, farmers who understand the value of rattle grass will go to the field to pick it and use it as a medicinal herb. This also illustrates the medicinal value of Rhamweed in terms of consumption.
In addition to being used as a wild vegetable and medicinal herb, rattle grass is also a high-quality pasture grass that is loved by poultry. Until the fruit is ripe, the stems and leaves are tender and juicy, making them suitable for poultry. Pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks and other poultry have a soft spot for rattle and enjoy it every day. When I was a child, I loved to pull pigweed, and the most enjoyable thing was to go to the dry fields and pick rattle, because they grew so luxuriantly that it was easy to fill the basket.
The stems of rattle are erect, with creeping branches at the base, and are covered with thick white hairs. If you bend the stem of the stalk, you will find that there will be white threads connected to the broken place, just like Eucommia. The leaves of rattle grass are grayish-green, alternate, obovate-spoon-shaped or spoon-shaped inverted-lanceolate, and the surface is covered with white hairs that look like a large patch of white hair. When you knead the rattle, it will give off a rich fragrance. The flowers usually bloom from January to April, and the flowers are golden or yellow, and the fruits ripen from August to November of the following year.
Rage grass is very widely distributed, and it can be seen in almost every province in China. Especially in farmland or wheat fields, rattle grass is more common. Since it absorbs nutrients from winter crops and reduces crop yields, R. sagegrass is technically a pest of weeds. However, this does not deny its value and existence. Because of this, farmers should understand its other functions and characteristics while controlling rattle, and make better use of it.
For farmers, rattle grass may just be a common weed, or even a pest weed, which will have a certain impact on winter crops. However, for those who understand the value of rattle, it is a treasure with edible, medicinal, and feed value. In spring, people can pick young leaves and eat them, scramble eggs, make Qingtuan, baba and other delicacies, and fully enjoy the gifts of nature. At the same time, it is also a plant with the same origin of medicine and food, and can exert a certain curative effect on some common diseases. In addition, rattle grass is also a favorite forage grass for poultry to eat, providing adequate nutrition.
Rat grass has a wide distribution in rural areas, but it is little known. We should strengthen the study of ratthorn grass and dig deeper into the value of all aspects to bring more convenience and enrichment to our lives. Friends who are engaged in agriculture should also do a good job in the control of rattle grass to avoid affecting the yield of winter crops.
For ordinary people, understanding the value and characteristics of rattle grass and learning to use it rationally can not only enrich our food culture, but also give full play to its medicinal value. At the same time, it is also essential for the protection of the environment and the maintenance of ecological balance. Although it is regarded as a pest by farmers, from a natural point of view, it is also a part of an ecosystem and has its own existence and value. We should live in harmony with Rat Worria through scientific methods and reasonable management, and realize the symbiosis between man and nature.