Seeing that Chen Nong had gone down the hillside, Chen Kai continued poking around with a stick, trying to find any edible tuberous plants.
After the rain, the mushrooms did grow quickly, and in just a short while, Chen Kai found quite a few more pine mushrooms.
Chen Kai walked up to Xiao Tian and said, "Xiao Tian, could you walk around with me for a bit? I'm looking for something."
Xiao Tian snorted coldly and did not refuse.
Chen Kai looked around, found a relatively flat path, and asked as he walked, "Xiao Tian, can you identify medicinal herbs?"
Xiao Tian shook his head and said, "No, I haven't learned it."
After walking for a while, Chen Kai did see quite a few plants that could be used as both medicine and food, but nothing special. The villagers would pick and eat these plants.
Chen Kai and Xiao Tian got tired and found a large rock to sit on and rest.
Chen Kai sat on a rock, looking at the misty scenery in the distance, and said with a smile, "Xiao Tian, look at the scenery in the distance, it's like a fairyland, so beautiful!"
Xiao Tian didn't say anything; the scenery he had seen in his previous life was far more beautiful than this.
Chen Kai shook his head helplessly. Suddenly, a strangely shaped tree not far away caught his attention. To be precise, there were two trees.
A tree was split in two by lightning, but it did not wither. Another tree grew out of the middle of the tree, straight and tall. Both trees were growing tenaciously.
After resting for a while, Chen Kai continued to look for tuberous plants.
Xiao Tian saw Chen Kai going to find wild grass again and felt sullen inside. Why didn't he pick some fruit for him to eat?
Xiao Tian kicked a plant unhappily, deliberately kicking fallen leaves from the tree onto Chen Kai.
Chen Kai was squatting on the ground picking pine mushrooms when he felt something fall on him. He turned around in confusion and asked, "Xiao Tian, what are you doing?"
Chen Kai was about to continue speaking when he suddenly noticed the plant at Xiao Tian's feet. He excitedly thought, "I never expected to find something so easy! I've finally found an edible tuberous plant! I've been searching so diligently for so long without success, and Xiao Tian has stumbled upon it!"
Xiao Tian saw Chen Kai looking in his direction, but he continued kicking, trying to get the fallen leaves onto himself. Chen Kai ran over, hugged Xiao Tian excitedly, and said, "Xiao Tian, you're so lucky!"
Although Xiao Tian still didn't understand what was going on, he said smugly, "That's right, I'm always lucky! What are you doing? Let go of me now!"
Chen Kai released Xiao Tian, squatted down, and carefully dug up the plant.
Xiao Tian asked in confusion, "What is this plant? Why are you so excited?"
Chen Kai said happily, "This is called konjac. Its underground rhizome is edible and can be used to replace part of the staple food."
Xiao Tian then asked, "If this thing called konjac can be eaten as a staple food, why doesn't anyone in the village eat it?"
Chen Kai said, "The entire konjac plant is poisonous, and it can easily cause allergies when handled. If not handled properly, it can easily lead to poisoning. It's possible that the people here think it's poisonous."
The entire konjac plant is poisonous, with the tuber being the most toxic part. Symptoms of poisoning include burning, itching, pain, and swelling of the tongue and throat. In folk medicine, a mixture of vinegar and a little ginger juice can be taken internally or used as a gargle to relieve the poisoning. Therefore, konjac must be processed to remove toxins before consumption, including grinding, steaming, and rinsing.
Xiao Tian exclaimed in surprise, "You guys really eat everything!"
Chen Kai smiled and said, "We eat everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, and swims in the water. Even things that are inedible, we'll find a way to make them edible."
On the other side, Chen Nong saw that the mushrooms had been picked enough, so he came over and called out as he walked, "Uncle, Xiao Tian, where are you?"
"We're over here!" Chen Kai shouted, waving.
When Chen Nong saw the plant in Chen Kai's hand, he immediately ran over and knocked it away, saying anxiously, "Uncle, this plant is poisonous and cannot be eaten."
Chen Kai said, "I know, but I saw a method for processing this plant in a book, and I want to try it. Also, the book mentioned that the processed plant can replace some of the staple food."
Chen Nong exclaimed in shock, "Really? Uncle, this plant can be eaten as a staple food?"
Chen Kai laughed and said, "Of course, this plant is called konjac, and it can be made into konjac noodles, konjac powder, konjac tofu and other foods. However, you can't eat too much of it, as it is not easy to digest."
Upon hearing his uncle's words, Chen Nong immediately went to find the plant.
Chen Kai shouted, "Chen Nong, just use the roots at the bottom. Be careful when you dig it up, don't damage it. If you do damage it, don't touch it directly with your hands, it can easily cause allergies and illness."
"I understand!" Chen Nong replied loudly.
Konjac is a root crop with a long history and a unique taste and flavor. In daily life, konjac has the effects of lowering blood lipids and blood sugar, detoxifying and relieving constipation, and losing weight and becoming fit.
Konjac contains glucomannan, which has a strong swelling capacity and a viscosity exceeding that of any other plant gum. It can fill the stomach and intestines, eliminate hunger, and is very low in calories. Eating it can help control weight and has the effect of weight loss and fitness.
The simplest way to process konjac is to make konjac flour. First, put the konjac directly in a basin and chop it continuously until it's chopped. Then, pour in some water to wash it, and then filter it out. Discard the konjac residue, let the remaining water settle naturally, pour off the water on top, and dry the sediment to make konjac flour.
Chen Kai saw that Chen Nong had found a lot more konjac and filled the bamboo basket to the brim.
Chen Kai called out, "Alright, Chen Nong, let's go home! If what we make is edible, we'll come back up the mountain to look for more."
After they got home, Chen Nong took Chen Kai to the kitchen, wanting to know how to treat the plant.
Chen Kai said, "Chen Nong, go find a wooden bucket and chop up these konjacs."
"Chen Nong, go find something to cover your hand so you don't touch it when you're chopping."
After Chen Nong chopped up the konjac, Chen Kai instructed, "Add some water, filter it with a cloth, and you can throw away the konjac residue in the cloth. Just let the remaining water settle."
To eat konjac powder, you usually pour it into warm water, let it sit for about 30 minutes until it forms a paste, then cook it in hot water until done.
If konjac powder is not cooked thoroughly, it will produce toxins. People with indigestion should not eat too much at one time, and people with skin diseases should eat less konjac. Konjac has the effects of lowering blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, weight loss and beauty, and is naturally delicious.
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