Like rau sau sau, rau don… rau mata rung (rau sang) is one of the natural vegetables used as an ingredient in cooking quite popular in the North. This plant is woody, likes light, grows on cliffs.

In Vietnam, wild spinach is mainly distributed in the North, found in many provinces such as Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Cao Bang, Lao Cai... In addition, this vegetable is also found in the Central Highlands provinces such as Kon Tum , Lam Dong, Gia Lai...

Wild spinach is found in many places but is most popular and preferred in the provinces of Lang Son, Cao Bang , and Thai Nguyen. Photo: Thu Thuy
Wild spinach is bundled and sold for 50,000 - 80,000 VND/kg, more expensive in some places. Photo: Mai Dam

Ms. Thu Phuong - owner of a restaurant in Lang Son city said that wild spinach can be harvested all year round, but from the end of January to the second and third lunar months is when the vegetable is the youngest and most delicious.

At that time, local people went into the forest to pick young leaves and shoots to sell and prepare dishes. “Wild spinach can be processed into a number of dishes, the most popular are stir-fried with garlic and soup.

This vegetable has a sweet taste and the characteristic smell of wild vegetables. People don't even need to add MSG when cooking it. It's naturally sweet and delicious like bone broth," said Ms. Phuong.

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In Hanoi, wild spinach is also abundant in the Huong Pagoda area. People often use this vegetable to make a delicious, nutritious soup. Photo: Quynh Vu

According to Ms. Phuong, people in some localities are now able to grow wild spinach. However, only the vegetable harvested naturally from the forest has the best quality and taste.

This is a clean vegetable so preparation is not difficult. When buying vegetables, just pick the young leaves, wash them, squeeze them and put them in the soup. To make the soup more delicious, the cook often adds minced meat, ribs, or shrimp.

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The leaves, young shoots and flowers of wild spinach can all be used as ingredients in cooking. Photo: Tham Nguyen Hemera Alisa

In addition to the leaves, shoots, flowers and fruits of wild spinach are also used as food. In particular, the flowers of this vegetable are very popular, used as ingredients to cook sticky rice, stir-fries, or make delicious soup.

The seeds of wild spinach can be simmered with bones to create a dish with a unique and attractive flavor.

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A unique sticky rice dish made from wild spinach flowers. Photo: Tham Nguyen Hemera Alisa

Not only delicious and unique, wild spinach is also considered a nutritious specialty, bringing many benefits to human health.

Physician Luan Quoc Tuan, who studied Oriental medicine for many years in China, believes that both wild and domestic spinach have miraculous uses.

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Wild spinach is considered a "heaven-sent" specialty in the North, both delicious and nutritious, sweet like bone broth. Photo: Nguyen Huyen

Wild spinach has a sweet taste and cool properties. It has the effect of promoting blood circulation, diuresis, detoxifying the liver, supporting anti-inflammation, treating acne or treating digestive problems such as constipation.

In addition, wild spinach is rich in protein, so it is recommended for people who want to lose weight and people with high blood pressure. However, people with low blood pressure or pregnant women should avoid using this vegetable.

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