Plantago, Che Qian Cao

  FUN FACTS  BN: (plantago asiatica) AKA 車前草 (Che Qian Cao), plantain, ripple grass, rib wort, rib grass. CONSTITUENTS   Aucubin (anti-microbial), allantoin (cellular growth and tissue regeneration), and mucilage (pain reliever). Plantain is an astringent.   High in calcium, vitamins A, C, and K. USES/BENEFITS  The young leaves can be eaten raw in a salad.  Older leaves, seed, and root can be washed…

Continue Reading

Asparagus, Lu Sun

FUN FACTS BN : Asparagus officinalis  AKA 芦笋 (Lúsǔn), Sparrow grass.   It takes three years from seed to harvest.  Everyone makes “asparagus pee,” but whether one can smell depends on one’s genes.  China is the world’s largest asparagus producer.  Oceana County, Michigan is the self-proclaimed asparagus capital of the world.  White asparagus is regular asparagus grown without sunlight.  Purple…

Continue Reading