Don't forget this step before eating parsnips

　　Spring has come again, and it's time for toon to hit the market. The toon buds are the fresh shoots of toon in spring, because they grow on the top of the tree, often called "vegetables on the tree", its unique taste makes many people deeply fascinated, the price has also risen.

Recently, for example, the price of parsnips has even risen to around 120 yuan a catty in some Shanghai vegetable markets. Is there any special nutrition in toon so expensive? Today we will talk about toon, a seasonal vegetable that is in season.

　　Toon is a nutritional value

　　Quite a good vegetable

　　Toon is also known as toon sprout, fragrant pile head, big red toon tree, etc.

The special flavour of toon comes from its special volatiles, including terpenes, sesquiterpenes and other substances. It is this special flavour that makes toon lovers a must-eat every spring, and those who don't like it avoid it.

　　Does the toon have any special nutritional benefits when it is sold at such a high price?

　　The toon is considered a vegetable with good nutritional value. Rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium, parsnips are also among the top vegetables in terms of vitamin B content.

Some studies have also found that parsnips are useful in preventing chronic diseases, containing ingredients that inhibit many pathogenic bacteria, as well as being quite rich in polyphenolic antioxidants.

　　However, many articles claim that toon has various health and wellness effects, such as anti-tumour, blood fat and blood sugar lowering, which is somewhat exaggerated.

In fact, toon is just a seasonal vegetable with a unique taste. It is eaten only a few times a year in spring, and not very much each time, so it has no special effects.

Toon is delicious

But it contains nitrites

　　Did you know, however, that there is often a dangerous element lurking in the delicious toon - nitrites?

　　Why are there nitrites in toon? We know that plants need nitrogen fertiliser when they grow. Nitrogen is a widely available element in nature, and plants absorb nitrogen from the environment and eventually synthesise amino acids through complex biochemical reactions.

In this process, the production of nitrates is an inevitable step. There are also reductases in plants that reduce some of the nitrates to nitrites. Virtually all plants contain nitrates and nitrites.

　　Nitrites are somewhat toxic. Toxicological analyses show that nitrite is acutely toxic, with a semi-lethal dose of 57 mg/kg in carious animals.

　　Furthermore, it increases the risk of cancer because nitrite reacts with protein breakdown products under acidic conditions to produce nitrosamines, which are recognised carcinogens.

　　Before eating parsnips

　　Blanch them in boiling water first

　　The good news is that the vast majority of nitrites can be removed by blanching the toon in hot water before eating it.

　　For example, some studies have shown that when hot blanching a toon, around 80% of nitrite can be removed in 30 seconds and 83.86% of nitrite in 45 seconds. So, when eating parsnips, make sure to blanch them in boiling water first, just for 30-40 seconds.

　　It is also recommended that when selecting toon, try to choose young shoots and eat them when they are at their freshest, as they contain less nitrates and nitrites at this time.