In the hot summer days, with high temperatures and high humidity, people easily feel fatigued, irritable, and may also experience loss of appetite and digestive problems. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the Dog Days are the best time of the year for health preservation. During this time, the body’s yang energy is at its strongest, making it an excellent opportunity to dispel cold, eliminate dampness, and nourish the spleen and stomach. Therefore, choosing suitable ingredients to help the body detox, clear heat, and invigorate the spleen and expel dampness is especially important.
Among the various seasonal vegetables, lotus stem is a great choice for consumption during the Dog Days. The young stem of lotus, known as lotus stem, is crisp and tender with a refreshing taste. Lotus stem has a cooling nature and is effective in clearing heat, invigorating the spleen, expelling dampness, tonifying qi, and blood, and promoting bowel movements. It is particularly suitable for consumption during the hot summer.
Lotus stem is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, and various other nutrients that can help enhance immunity and promote skeletal health. Additionally, lotus stem is rich in dietary fiber, which can facilitate intestinal peristalsis, prevent constipation, regulate blood sugar levels, and is a highly nutritious, low-calorie healthy ingredient. For those who feel tired, have excessive dampness, and loss of appetite during the Dog Days, lotus stem is undoubtedly an excellent dietary choice.
Recommended Recipe: Lotus Stem Salad
Ingredients: 300g lotus stem, 1 carrot, half an onion, dried black fungus, 50g yuba (tofu skin), 1 cucumber, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 small red chilies, cooking oil, salt, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil
Step 1: Preparation of Ingredients
1. Trim the ends of the lotus stem, peel off the outer skin, rinse with water, and cut into segments about 3 cm long. Soak the cut lotus stem in lightly salted water to prevent discoloration. Wash the carrot, peel, and cut into small pieces.
2. Peel the onion, dice into small pieces, soak in cold water to reduce spiciness. Soak the dried black fungus in warm water until soft, tear into small pieces after soaking, blanch in water, and set aside. Soak the yuba in warm water until soft, cut into small pieces. Wash, peel, and cut the cucumber into small pieces. Peel the garlic, chop into minced pieces, and slice the small red chilies into rings.
Step 2: Blanching
Bring water to a boil in a pot, blanch the lotus stem, carrot, and yuba for about 1 minute, remove and immediately transfer to cold water to cool, then drain.
Step 3: Preparation of Salad Dressing
For the dressing: mix the minced garlic and sliced red chilies in a small bowl. Heat some oil in a pan until smoking, then pour the hot oil over the garlic and chilies to release the flavors of the garlic and chilies. Add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white vinegar, and sesame oil, mix well.
Step 4: Mixing the Salad
Place the prepared lotus stem, carrot, onion, black fungus, yuba, cucumber in a large bowl. Pour the prepared dressing over the ingredients, gently mix to coat each piece evenly. Adjust salt according to personal preference, mix well, then serve.
This refreshing Lotus Stem Salad is rich in various vegetable nutrients, colorful, and has a rich texture, making it a great dish for the summer table. The crisp lotus stem combined with the sweetness of the carrot, the spiciness of the onion, the smoothness of the black fungus, the chewiness of the yuba, and the freshness of the cucumber, complemented by the accents of garlic and small red chilies, gives this dish a rich complexity and intense flavor.
Cooking Tips:
1. Control the blanching time of the lotus stem carefully: Do not blanch for too long, or the lotus stem will lose its crispness. After blanching, quickly cool in cold water to maintain the crispness.
2. Layer the dressing for the salad: Combine light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white vinegar, and other seasonings first, then use hot oil to bring out the flavors of the garlic and chilies for a more fragrant salad.
3. Pay attention to ingredient preparation: Ensure uniform cutting of various ingredients, gentle mixing to avoid breaking the ingredients, affecting the texture and appearance.
Overall, this Lotus Stem Salad not only meets the requirements for freshness, heat relief, and cooling during the Dog Days but also provides ample nutrition for the body. It would be a shame not to make good use of lotus stem, a seasonal ingredient! Seize the Dog Days and get cooking!
