Perilla seed oil is a natural oil with both medicinal and edible values, mainly extracted from the seeds of perilla. Therefore, it contains a very high amount of alpha-linolenic acid, which has a significant effect on the human body’s metabolism. Then, for such a good edible oil, can babies eat it? How should it be added to complementary foods?

Perilla seed oil is called Renhuimayou in Japan and some western regions, which is rich in alpha-linolenic acid and is the food with the highest content of alpha-linolenic acid among terrestrial plants. It is known as the ‘land deep-sea fish oil’. Its metabolites are DHA, which is very critical for the intellectual and visual development of babies. Babies should be given perilla seed oil from the beginning of weaning, which can be used to steam egg custard, mix with salad, rice, soup, or make cakes.

The nutritional value of perilla seed oil

Perilla is a treasure all over, and it is one of the first batch of plants approved for both medicinal and food use in China. The alpha-linolenic acid contained in perilla seed oil is an essential fatty acid for the human body, which is converted into the life-active factor DHA and EPA (plant brain gold) necessary for metabolism in the human body. It does not contain cholesterol and has more significant health care functions and medical effects on the human body. Then, what are the nutritional values of perilla seed oil? Let’s learn about it in detail!

The main components of perilla seed oil are alpha-linolenic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, vitamin E, 18 kinds of amino acids, and various trace elements. Perilla oil is the edible plant oil with the highest content of alpha-linolenic acid (a-LNA) known so far, and perilla seed oil has the best quality, with the content of alpha-linolenic acid reaching about 70%. In view of the importance of alpha-linolenic acid and the common situation of insufficient intake among humans, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations recommend special supplementation of alpha-linolenic acid. Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid for the human body that cannot be synthesized internally and must be obtained from food. A deficiency of alpha-linolenic acid in the human body can lead to various functional disorders and metabolic disturbances. The deficiency of alpha-linolenic acid in humans has been identified as a global issue, especially harmful to the brain development of fetuses, infants, and children. Medicine has confirmed that 60% of the brain is composed of specific fatty acids, and only alpha-linolenic acid can be synthesized into DHA to complete the brain development needs. Therefore, it plays a substantial role in improving the brain development and brain nerve function of children from fetal to school age, enhancing the information function of brain cells, and promoting the normal development of the human brain.

Therefore, the nutritional value of perilla seed oil is very high, especially for friends with babies at home, it is recommended to let children eat more perilla seed oil to promote their brain development.

Perilla is not only a type of edible ingredient but also a traditional Chinese medicine. If you have symptoms such as allergies, inflammation, and hypertension, eating perilla can achieve a certain degree of relief. Moreover, perilla seeds can be refined into edible oil, which has a great effect on human metabolism. Then, does perilla seed have side effects with so many effects on the human body?

Many patients have a shallow understanding of perilla seed oil, knowing that it can help people fight aging and cancer, but they do not know the side effects of perilla seed oil. So, do you know what the side effects of perilla seed oil are? If you don’t know, then, the following editor will introduce the side effects of perilla seed oil for everyone, let’s take a look!

What are the side effects of perilla seed oil?

Perilla seed oil is a type of edible oil that is refined from perilla. It contains many substances beneficial to the human body and has many health benefits. Especially the linolenic acid it contains is an essential fatty acid for the human body, and it does not contain cholesterol, making it have a good health-preserving effect.

Perilla oil can control platelet aggregation in the human body, reduce neutral lipids in the blood, remove cholesterol, and prevent thrombosis. Scientific experiments have proven that it is the highest content of alpha-linolenic acid among known vegetable oils, and is known as the ‘deep-sea fish oil on land’.

In summary, it is not yet clear what the side effects of perilla oil are, and it can only ensure correctness when used under the guidance of a doctor.

When Zisu seeds are used as food ingredients, they have the effect of flavoring and removing fishy odors. As a medicine, they have the effects of removing phlegm, relieving asthma, moistening the intestines, and relieving constipation. The amount of Zisu seeds used for each disease treatment can be added according to the actual situation, such as adding one liang for treating children’s cough, and adding three liang for treating dry mouth. Therefore, there is no fixed amount of Zisu seeds, and eating more is not harmful. The following will detail the various methods of consuming Zisu seeds.

1, Zisu Congee: 6 grams of Zisu leaves, 50 grams of glutinous rice, and an appropriate amount of brown sugar. Rinse the glutinous rice with clean water. Add an appropriate amount of water to a pot, add the Zisu leaves, boil for one minute, remove the residue and take the juice for later use. Add water to the pot, bring to a boil, add the glutinous rice to cook into porridge, and when the porridge is cooked, add the Zisu leaf juice and brown sugar, stir well and serve. Zisu leaves are acrid and warm, with the effects of dispersing cold, relieving exterior symptoms, and promoting the circulation of Qi. Zisu leaves can dilate capillaries, stimulate sweat secretion, and induce sweating. Its infusion has inhibitory effects on influenza viruses. Cooking Zisu leaves with glutinous rice has the effect of harmonizing the stomach and dispelling cold. This porridge is suitable for weak infants and is effective for those prone to catching a cold due to occasional exposure to wind and cold.

2, Zisu Maren Congee: 10-15 grams of Zisu seeds, 10-15 grams of sesame seeds, and 100 grams of glutinous rice. First, grind the Zisu seeds and sesame seeds into a paste, then add water and slowly grind, filter the juice and remove the residue, and then cook with glutinous rice to make a thin porridge for consumption. It has the effect of moistening the intestines and relieving constipation. It is suitable for elderly people, postpartum women, patients after illness, and those with weak physical fitness who have difficulty defecating and difficult to relieve constipation.

3. Cold dish of perilla leaves: 300 grams of tender perilla leaves, essence of flavor, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, sesame oil. Wash the perilla leaves clean, blanch in boiling water, remove and wash clean, squeeze out the water. Cut into sections and place in a dish, add salt, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, and sesame oil, mix well. This dish is suitable for symptoms such as common cold due to wind and cold, aversion to cold and fever, cough, asthma, chest and abdominal distension. Healthy people can eat it to strengthen the body, nourish the skin, moisturize the skin, and improve eyesight and beauty. It is contraindicated for those with weak exterior qi.

4. Perilla drink: 3-5 fresh perilla leaves, sugar. Wash the perilla leaves clean and drain the water, put them in a cup and pour boiling water over them to make a cool drink by adding sugar. This drink has the effects of invigorating the stomach, dispelling summer heat. For healthy people, drinking it during hot weather can enhance appetite, aid digestion, prevent summer heat, and can also prevent common cold and chest and abdominal distension. It can also prevent colds and chest and abdominal distension.

5. Perilla seed rice balls: Main ingredient: 300 grams of perilla seeds, 1000 grams of glutinous rice flour. Seasonings: sugar, lard. Wash the perilla seeds clean, drain the water, and fry in a pot until cooked, take out and cool, grind into powder, mix with lard and sugar to make the filling. Mix the glutinous rice flour with boiling water to make a paste, shape into balls, wrap the filling, and then steam in boiling water until cooked, take out and serve. This rice ball is made from perilla seeds and glutinous rice that strengthens the spleen and stomach, with the effects of relaxing the middle jiao, promoting digestion, and regulating the qi. It is suitable for symptoms such as cough with sputum, chest and diaphragm fullness, poor appetite, poor digestion, constipation, and is contraindicated for those with weak spleen and stomach and diarrhea.

In the region of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, it is still popular to eat perilla dumplings during the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, or on ordinary days. Careful elders usually plant some perilla seeds in front of and behind the courtyard in early summer, lush and green, and collect and dry the seeds in cola bottles for later use. However, most of them are given to younger generations or other relatives and friends, and only a small part is kept for themselves, which is mostly made into dumplings for the younger generation to eat.

6. Perilla tea as described in ‘The Prescriptions of the Immortal from the Sea’ – Use 20 grams of perilla, crushed, and placed in a thermos flask, pour in boiling water as needed, steep for 15 minutes, and drink warm. Take one dose per day. At the same time, use the residue (freshly crushed) for local hot compresses. Perilla is pungent and warm in taste, with the functions of releasing the exterior, dispelling cold, regulating the qi, and nourishing the body. Clinically, it is often used for common cold due to wind and cold, aversion to cold and fever, cough, asthma, chest and abdominal distension, and fetal movement disorders, and can also relieve the toxicity of fish and crabs. Pharmacological studies have shown that perilla has antipyretic and inhibitory effects on the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. This prescription is used for early stages of lactational mastitis, can reduce swelling and relieve pain, and alleviate cold and fever. If it is taken with ‘Liu Shen Wan’ internally, 20 pills each time, twice a day, the effect is even better. Avoid using it for those with high fever and sweating.

7. Stir-fried chicken breast slices with perilla and mushroom (slice thinly, marinated with a little salt, pepper, and cooking wine for 30 minutes), fresh mushrooms sliced, a handful of tender perilla leaves, sliced bell peppers and onions, a few dried chili peppers, ginger, and garlic slices, fried dough strips cut into small pieces. Use one large spoon of oil and soy sauce, two large spoons of chicken broth, and a little monosodium glutamate. Heat the oil in the pot, fry the perilla leaves until crispy, remove and arrange around the plate. At this point, the oil is light green and has a perilla fragrance, add the chicken slices to 80% cooked, remove and drain. Leave one large spoon of oil in the pot, heat it, add dried chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and bell peppers to sauté, add mushroom slices, all the seasonings, return the chicken slices, stir-fry quickly until evenly mixed, and stir-fry the fried dough strips a few times before serving.

Zongzi is very familiar to many people, and there are many flavors of zongzi. Salted zongzi is made from meat filling, and the leaves used to wrap the zongzi are very particular. Since different regions use different leaves to wrap them, in general, reed leaves can be used to wrap salted zongzi, as reed leaves contain amino acids and are rich in nutrition.

The leaves used to wrap zongzi need to meet the following three characteristics: first, they have a fragrance, secondly, they do not break after boiling in water, and thirdly, the leaf area is large, which is good for wrapping zongzi. Zongzi leaves are of various types, and the types used in China and even around the world are different. The common ones are reed leaves, bamboo leaves, and bamboo leaves. Zongzi leaves generally contain a large amount of chlorophyll and various amino acids and other components, and their special preservative effect is also one of the reasons why zongzi is easy to preserve. They have a fragrant smell, and it feels like a return to nature when smelled.

The zongzi leaves used by the old Beijing people are usually reed leaves, which are called zong leaves when used for wrapping zongzi. The people in Guangzhou often use bamboo leaves to wrap zongzi, and the better ones are smooth and soft. The people in Shantou often use bamboo leaves to wrap zongzi, and the zongzi has the fragrance of bamboo leaves, but it needs to be cooked soft before use. Shanghai and other places use the bamboo leaves collected from Huangshan, Anhui, during the great heat of the year, which have a special fragrance and are commonly known as ‘Huizhou Fu Zhu’. The bamboo shoot skin is mostly used in Ningbo and Chongqing, with large circular spots on the bamboo shoot skin, which some netizens joke is ‘leopard print zongzi’. However, some places in Fujian also use bamboo shoot skin to wrap zongzi. Lotus leaf zongzi can also be seen occasionally on the dining table of the people in Fujian. Generally speaking, the most commonly used leaves for wrapping zongzi in the south are bamboo leaves, also known as zong leaves, which are the leaves of the plant bamboo, while in the north, more reed leaves are used.

What is the name of the leaf used to wrap zongzi: There are many types according to local materials

There are many types of zongzi leaves, and the types used in China and even around the world are different. The common ones are reed leaves, bamboo leaves, and bamboo leaves; as well as a variety of other zongzi leaves, such as: osmanthus bamboo leaves, moon peach leaves, banana leaves, lotus leaves, zongba leaves, bamboo shoot shells.

Due to the different eating habits in various regions, the taste of zongzi is also very different. Northern zongzi is mainly sweetened with dates, bean paste, and peanut filling, while southern zongzi is mainly with meat zongzi with a salty taste. The ingredients are also not the same, including salted egg yolk, shrimp, mushrooms, etc., but the main body is fixed, either glutinous rice or ginger rice.

2. What tea to drink with zongzi to promote digestion

Black tea

Black tea is a fully fermented tea. The polyphenol oxides in black tea varieties have a small stimulus to the stomach and also have a digestive function, and can also reduce fat and lose weight. When eating zongzi, you can drink black tea, which can help relieve greasiness and promote digestion. Black tea does not need any special type, as long as it is black tea, but the black tea to be drunk with zongzi must be hot to have the effect of relieving greasiness.

3. What tea to drink with zongzi to promote digestion

Rose tea

If you are eating white zongzi, it is best to drink rose tea. We know that rose tea has a light fragrance, which is very pleasant to smell, and rose tea can also regulate blood circulation. If you add a sour plum to the rose tea, it will also have a sweet taste. Drinking this tea while eating white zongzi will make the texture of the zongzi better, and it can also relieve greasiness.

Purple potato flour is made from purple potatoes. It is the same as sweet potato noodles, but purple potato flour has a better color. There are many ways to eat cooked purple potato flour, such as cold dishes, soups, and hotpot. Because purple potato flour is smooth and elastic, it is loved by many people. Before eating purple potato flour, it should be blanch in hot water for a while, and the heat should be controlled properly. Otherwise, it is not easy to digest if it is hard, and the taste is not good if it is soft.

Materials

Ingredients: 1 small handful of purple potato flour, half a cucumber, 1 tablespoon of deliciously roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of steamed fish soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, 1 tablespoon of roasted chili oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar.

1. Prepare the required ingredients.

2. Soak the purple potato flour in water for about 15 minutes until soft.

3. Add water to a small pot, put in the softened purple potato flour, bring to a boil over high heat for about 3 minutes, then soak in boiling water.

4. Take an appropriate amount of roasted peanuts, put them in a plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin.

5. Cut cucumber into thin strips, drain the purple potato flour and mix it with the cucumber strips.

2. Stir-fry the eggs and meat separately, and then remove from heat

3. Cook and season the other ingredients in the pot

1, Prepare the ingredients

Purple sweet potato, in appropriate quantity.

2, Wash and peel the purple sweet potato, and cut it into thin slices.

3, Place the purple sweet potato in a steaming pot and steam for 15 minutes to cook the purple sweet potato. PS

You can poke the purple sweet potato with chopsticks to see if it is cooked. If the purple sweet potato becomes soft and easily pierced, it means it is cooked!

4, Use a spoon to mash the cooked purple sweet potato into a puree. PS

The purple sweet potato puree needs to be finer without any lumps. When making it yourself, you can gently knead it with your hands.

5, Flatten the purple sweet potato puree to make it finer.

6, Lay a layer of oil paper on the baking tray, place the purple sweet potato puree on top, and cover it with a layer of cling film. PS

Press the puree with a piece of cling film so that there is no puree stuck to the spoon, and the puree will be pressed more evenly.

7, First, spread the purple sweet potato puree on the baking tray with a spoon. PS

8, Use a rolling pin to roll the purple sweet potato puree more evenly. PS

Try to roll them as thin as possible to shorten the baking or drying time.

9, Roll the purple sweet potato puree into thin purple sweet potato slices.

10, Place the baking tray in the oven and bake at 100 degrees for about 90 minutes. PS

The roasting time is uncertain and depends on the thickness of the purple sweet potato puree and the water content in the purple sweet potato, so you need to control the time yourself, roast slowly at a low temperature, and roast the purple sweet potato slices until they are crispy!

11, Roast until it reaches a dehydrated and crispy texture like this.

12, Crumble the purple sweet potato slices by hand. PS

The purple sweet potato slices must be crumbled to be blended more finely.

13, Put the purple sweet potato pieces into the blender and blend into a dry powder. PS

Mix for a slightly longer time to make the purple sweet potato flour finer. You can also sieve the purple sweet potato flour, put the remaining larger particles back into the blender to mix again, and the finer the texture, the better.

14, The purple sweet potato flour, with its amazing fragrance, is very suitable for making various steamed cakes, twists, and mantou. It is also great for adding to rice porridge to create various purple sweet potato-based foods and snacks. Not only is the color cute, but the flavor is even more aromatic.

5. Place it in a jar, it can be eaten after one day.

Perilla Leaf Rice Wrapper

Materials

2 ounces of minced pork or diced meat (poultry and fish are also okay)

1 medium onion (cut into particles), 3 slices of ginger (minced)

1 root of lettuce with leaves (peeled and cut into particles), 2 soaked mushrooms (cut into particles)

8-10 fresh perilla leaves (cleaned)

1 bowl of cooked rice (or 3-4 ounces, mixed rice or fragrant rice are both okay)

2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of cooking wine, 2 teaspoons of fresh soy sauce, a little pepper powder

Preparation method

1. Marinate minced pork with 2 teaspoons of cooking wine and 2 teaspoons of fresh soy sauce and set aside.

2. Heat a pan with vegetable oil, add minced ginger and onion particles, and stir-fry until fragrant.

3. Add minced meat and stir-fry until it changes color and is cooked through, then add cooking wine and soy sauce.

4. Add shredded lettuce and mushroom particles, stir-fry until the lettuce emits a fragrance.

5. Add rice and stir-fry evenly.

6. Sprinkle a little pepper powder and then remove from heat.

7. How to eat