Though spring may still feel quite a ways away, the produce section has just started teeming again with life. At my local 99 Ranch, I’m seeing pea shoots crop up, alongside Chinese chives, dandelion leaves, celtuce, Taiwanese lettuce — all the leafy greens you could imagine. And it’s been the breath of fresh air we’ve needed after the start of this year 🌿
Today’s newsletter will cover what produce to take advantage of, especially in their peak season, and how to use them to heal not just your skin but also your gut, liver, and what the rippling effects are from that.
The Hottest Spring Seasonal Produce 🌱
The bitter, the better — it’s an old adage in the Chinese medicinal world because bitter greens are highly valued for their ability to clear heat (inflammation), drain dampness (which often leads to bloating and sluggishness), and detoxify the body (help clear up skin issues like acne). Since our body naturally shifts toward renewal and cleansing in the spring anyways, having more of these greens just helps us in that process. So what should you start picking up at the grocery? Here’s a list of what I’d start to grab:
Sugar snap peas, snow peas, fava beans, English peas
Spinach, arugula, watercress, mustard greens, dandelion greens, lettuce
Green onions, leeks, chives
Asparagus, celery, fiddlehead ferns, bamboo shoots
Cilantro, parsley, dill, mint, tarragon
Start incorporating more of these into your meals and one of the easiest ways to do that in huge quantities is in this 5 greens Chinese soup 🍲 this recipe’s enough for 4.
Ingredients:
3 stalks of Chinese celery
4 stalks of chinese chives