Sour bitter greens

Sour bitter greens

　　Sour bitter greens—known medicinally as Patrinia scabiosaefolia, this is a wild plant of the Asteraceae family. It has various benefits such as clearing heat and detoxifying. These greens can be found all over Fugu. In the past, people relied on them to survive lean times, but now they’re used to enrich daily life. They can be stir-fried or prepared fresh. Sour bitter greens are a traditional way farmers in Fugu prepare them. The collected bitter greens and sweet sowthistle (two wild greens that live in similar environments and share a similar appearance; sweet sowthistle is not as bitter as bitter greens, though it’s not sweet either) are cleaned and washed to remove dust, then boiled, squeezed dry, and placed in a container and pressed down with a bit of salt. A stone is placed on top to weigh them down, and some cool boiled water is added. After being left to ferment for several days, they are ready to eat. Around noon, after returning from the fields, having a bowl of sour bitter greens cools you down, stimulates your appetite, and clears internal heat.