Familiar fruit trees such as betel nut, banana, and grapefruit not only have fragrant flowers but their blossoms are also considered “precious medicine” that offers numerous health benefits.
Dishes Made from Betel Nut Flowers: Heart, Liver, and Stomach Tonics
For the Vietnamese people, the betel nut tree is well-known. Its fragrant flowers are often used for incense. The betel nut is closely associated with the Vietnamese custom of chewing betel. Beyond its cultural significance, both the flowers and fruit of the betel nut tree are viewed as medicinal ingredients in traditional medicine.
According to Dr. Huỳnh Tấn Vũ, Head of the Daytime Examination and Treatment Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Campus 3), in traditional medicine, betel nut flowers, known as tân lang or binh lang, have a slightly sweet taste and a cooling property. They are beneficial for the heart, liver, and stomach, treating coughs, cooling the body, promoting airflow, and dispelling stagnant energy in the stomach.
Betel nut flowers. (Photo: ST).
Betel nut flowers are also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and high in fiber, which supports health and boosts immunity.
In folk medicine, people often use betel nut flowers to treat coughs in cases of: cough, chest pain, joint pain, and bloating: Take 250 grams of betel nut flowers and simmer them with pork.
To treat coughs and strengthen the stomach and spleen, you can use 400 grams of betel nut flowers and 250 grams of ribs, along with sufficient salt. Cut the betel nut flowers into small pieces, remove the stems, soak them in saltwater, and rinse. Combine all ingredients to make a soup, consuming both the liquid and the solids.
Dishes Made from Banana Flowers: Good for Heart Health
The banana tree is widely cultivated throughout Vietnam. Bananas are easy to grow and the flowers can be used as a vegetable, often featured in salads, while the fruit can be consumed both unripe and ripe.
Among these, banana flowers are extensively used in health-enhancing recipes. Dr. Tấn Vũ mentions that banana flowers can be prepared into delicious dishes beneficial for health. For example: Banana flowers cooked with pig heart are effective for treating heart pain. The preparation method is as follows: Clean the banana flowers and chop them finely; clean the pig heart and cut it into four parts; place both ingredients in a pot and cook for 30 minutes, then discard the banana flower remnants, consuming the pig heart and drinking the broth.
Banana flowers. (Photo: ST).
Banana flowers simmered with pig trotters help women postpartum produce more milk and recover health quickly. The method is as follows: 1 pig trotter, 1 banana flower, shallots, garlic, and tamarind. Clean the pig trotter, marinate with seasoning, oyster sauce, and pepper. Remove the outer layers of the banana flower, slice it thinly, and soak it in water. Sauté the shallots and garlic, add the pig trotter and stir-fry with a bit of fish sauce, then add enough water to cook, bringing it to a boil. Once boiling, add tamarind and reduce the heat. Simmer the trotter until it’s almost tender, then remove the tamarind, mash it, and strain to get tamarind water. Return the tamarind water to the pot, add the banana flower, and season to taste. Continue cooking until the banana flower is tender, then sprinkle with finely chopped scallions.
According to Dr. Vũ, banana flowers are also used in remedies for uterine prolapse in women. Take the banana flower (collect the fallen flowers), dry them, and grind them into powder, taking 1 tablespoon twice a day with boiling water. Alternatively, 60 grams of fresh banana flower can be boiled and consumed multiple times a day.
Grapefruit Flowers: Beneficial for Lungs and Digestion
According to Dr. Tấn Vũ, the grapefruit tree is scientifically named Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, belonging to the Rutaceae family. Grapefruit flowers possess many medicinal properties that help treat coughs and phlegm, and nourish the lungs. The flowers contain essential oils that stimulate digestion and promote bowel movements (preventing constipation).
Grapefruit flowers. (Photo: ST).
People can use grapefruit flowers as medicine as follows: 4 grams of grapefruit flowers, a bowl of pea flowers, half a spoon of ginger juice, and a spoon of rock sugar. Wash the grapefruit flowers and boil them in a pot for about 10 minutes, then strain to get the liquid. Add ginger juice, sugar, and pea flowers, and continue boiling, then serve to help expel phlegm and promote bowel movements.
Dr. Vũ notes that in cases of overeating causing stomach discomfort, one can use 12 grams of grapefruit flowers steamed with tea to aid digestion (to alleviate food retention), hiccups, gas stagnation, or frequent belching and yawning.
