Chinanews.com, Guangzhou, June 7 Electric title: Night Orchid: A New Favorite on the Dining Table of Taishan People in Guangdong Qiaoxiang
Author Li Xiaochun Guo Jun
"Now local vegetables are sweet potato leaves, water spinach, pig skin, eggplant, tomato, loofah, zucchini, cold melon, papaya, etc., and this night orchid, cooked in soup dishes is more refreshing, Would you like to try it?" The reporter said recently when the waiter ordered food for guests at Lexing Seafood Restaurant in Taicheng, Taishan, Guangdong. Cooking or cooking soup with freshly picked night orchids has been favored in recent years in Taishan and the entire Wuyi area of Jiangmen.
Night orchid in bloom photo by Li Xiaochun
It is understood that the night orchid is a perennial vine plant. Its tender stems are light green, and the old stems are gray-brown. When the tender stems are broken, a little milk will flow out, and the branching ability is strong. They grow entwined but have no tendrils. The leaves are opposite and have petioles, which are long oval to wide oval. I like the environment with plenty of sunshine, good ventilation and loose and fertile land. Deciduous in winter, bud long leaves after warm spring, the growth and branching speed is faster, there are axillary buds or flower buds in each node. The flowering period is from April to October every year. Umbrella cymes will grow in succession. Each inflorescence has several flowers. The buds are light green and the calyx has 5 lobes. The flowers are light yellow or orange yellow with a light fragrance when they bloom. The special feature is that the floral fragrance released at night is more intense.
Night Orchid Li Xiaochun
Recently, a reporter discovered in a farm in Bantan Village, Sijiu Town, Taishan, that the climbing plant planted on the base of the pond of the fish pond is the night orchid, and the looming floral fragrance comes out, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. "This night, the orchid was introduced from the field by the field director. The flowers are relatively large. The flowering buds have entered into the flowering period, and the buds that are too late to harvest are easy to bloom. Most restaurants only like to buy night orchids that are full and not blooming. Even if you eat it, you may not know what the color of the night orchid’s bud is after it blooms. Most of the buds that were found to be blooming during the previous harvest will be pinched off. Now they can be harvested separately, and the buds can also be sold in the vegetable market." Staff introduction on the farm.
On the soup night orchid Li Xiaochun photo
Almost all the night market orchids are sold in various vegetable markets in Taishan and Taicheng. "Would you like to try the local night orchids produced today? Don’t see that some of the buds are already open. In fact, there are a few blooming buds in the inflorescence. The fragrance of the night orchids will be more obvious. If you don’t want to affect the taste, go back and cut the handle on the inflorescence. Just drop it. It can be cooked in a soup style like a teahouse, or you can add lean meat, fish slippery, eggs or salted eggs to make a raw soup. This night, orchid soup can be used as a dish, and you can drink soup. Do two things with one stone. Now only 40 yuan (RMB) per kilogram, about half a kilogram is enough to make one soup." The owner of a vegetable stall in the Fucheng market in Taicheng said when soliciting guests.
Night orchids full and unbloomed with buds photo by Li Xiaochun
"In fact, it is easier to plant night orchids. After the flowering period, cut the old stems to about 30 centimeters in length. Like the sweet potato vines that have been planted in rural areas, half of the old stems are planted in the soil, and the remaining half are old. The stems will slowly grow leaf buds in a humid environment. If you want to ensure the survival rate, you can also use rooting water to treat it. After you have grown the tender stems, you can consider setting up a shelf for it. Otherwise, the night orchids climbing everywhere will enter After the flowering period, harvesting the night orchids will be more strenuous. You need to set aside the leaves to see if there are buds growing under the shade of the leaves, and the buds are too close to the mud surface to be easily contaminated or rotten." Ms. Li Yuerong, a Taishan person, told reporters that most night orchids It is planted in farmland, vegetable gardens or gardens, but some people like to use large pots to plant in sunny places such as balconies, rooftops, terraces, etc., which can be used as green plants to beautify the environment, and can be harvested for cooking during flowering.
Sliced Mud Fish Slippery Night Orchid Soup Photo by Li Xiaochun
Little Night Orchid, a touch of nostalgia for overseas Chinese. With the footsteps of Taishan people at home and abroad, many excellent agricultural products introduced into Taishan can be presented on the dining table of the hometown of overseas Chinese, which directly or indirectly put together a unique flavor for this veritable hometown of fish and rice. Taste, satisfy the feeling on the tip of the tongue. (Finish)