Contents
Description and distribution
Walnut grass has other names – syt, cyperus. However, the most popular displays the main characteristic feature of the plant – a rich nutty flavor. Spicy herbaceous spice not only sets off the taste of muffins, meat and vegetable dishes, but is also successfully used in cosmetology and medicine.
Light-loving and heat-loving plant prefers wet places and sandy soils. The natural location of the growth of saty are the countries of Central Asia, Central Africa and South America. In Our Country, grass is common in the Caucasus and Kuban.
There are a lot of varieties of walnut grass – more than 600 species. Among them there is edible and papyrus satiety, from which papyrus was made in ancient times.
Depending on the climatic features of the region, the height of the grass ranges from 15 to 30 cm. The roots of the plant are collected in a neat tuber, they are powerful and well developed. The stems are thin but strong. The inflorescence of the “umbrella” type consists of rays of different lengths, perianths are absent, flowers of both sexes.
Leaflets are located at the base and may be higher than the inflorescence. The spikelet is even and long, narrow, sharp, dirty red in color. During the season, the grass has only one very small fruit, similar to a triangular steel-colored nut.
Cyperus is propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
The chemical composition of walnut grass
An unremarkable plant, which is often mistaken for an ordinary weed, has a rich chemical composition. It is the variety of useful substances that determine the various beneficial properties of satiety. The unique chemical composition of cyperus includes:
- a small amount of essential oils, which, nevertheless, are clearly distinguishable in aroma and taste;
- terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins;
- fatty acid;
- sesquiterpenes;
- ascorbic acid;
- wax;
- minerals: magnesium, selenium, zinc, iron.
Useful and healing properties of satiety
Syt has antibacterial, analgesic, insecticidal and anthelmintic properties. Diaphoretic and antipyretic properties help to cope with fever. Cyperus oil is used to kill bacterial and fungal strains. The herb also has calming and pain-relieving effects that allow you to overcome insomnia and depression, and relieve menstrual pain. Nut grass is often used in the treatment of gynecological problems.
Cyperus also helps to cope with various problems of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular gastritis, ulcers, dysentery.
Walnut grass is a powerful aphrodisiac, increasing libido and stimulating blood flow to the genitals.
General rules for the collection and procurement of raw materials
Grass tubers are harvested for medicinal and culinary purposes. You can collect satiety at any time, but it is recommended to do this in early autumn or spring. To preserve all the useful properties, it is necessary to properly dry the raw material. To do this, the tubers must be carefully dug up, rid of the remnants of the soil and rinsed well under running water.
After cleaning, the grass is laid out on cloth or paper sheets in one layer. Drying should be carried out in a shaded warm place (eg under a canopy) or in a well-ventilated dry room.
In a city apartment, you can dry the grass in the oven at 50 ° C for at least 5 hours. The oven door must not be closed.
Author’s advice
The finished product is crushed and stored in glass or tin containers. The shelf life is 2 years.
Application in folk medicine
The rich chemical composition of walnut grass has been used for a long time. Healing oils and decoctions were not only prepared from satiety, but they were also regularly eaten for preventive purposes.
To strengthen immunity
Cyperus is a powerful immunomodulator. Regular use of herbal decoctions and tinctures increases the body’s resistance, improves metabolism. Antioxidants slow down the aging process of the body and have a preventive effect on the formation of malignant neoplasms.
For the treatment of SARS, influenza and colds
The anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect of cyperus helps to overcome diseases of the respiratory system, colds and respiratory viral infections. Diaphoretic and diuretic effects help to neutralize fever and reduce temperature, and also improve metabolic processes.
For the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases
Minerals not only contribute to the production of blood and the treatment of anemia, but also help to cope with gastritis, ulcers, dysbacteriosis, colic and E. coli. Walnut grass stimulates the processes of strengthening the walls of the intestines and the process of high-quality and fast digestion of food by the stomach.
For the treatment of gynecological diseases
Cyperus effectively copes with the stagnation of menstrual blood, inflammation of the uterine mucosa. A decoction helps to normalize the menstrual cycle, and douching with tincture helps to eliminate thrush.
For healing scars and scars
The anti-inflammatory and wound healing effect of the plant is often used to treat skin pathologies, eczema and psoriasis. The oil promotes wound healing, resorption of scars, neutralization of fungal infections.
Video “Puff bread with nut grass”
This video shows a cooking class for making puff bread using aromatic seasoning.
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Nut grass in cooking
In the Caucasian republics, walnut grass is one of the most popular spices. Also, not only healing decoctions, but also culinary drinks are prepared from saty.
As spices and condiments
In Dagestan and Chechnya, the most popular national dough dishes are prepared using herbs. It is added to the dough for khinkal, flat cakes and wonderful puff bread. As a seasoning, cyperus is added to hot meat dishes and vegetable stews.
Recently, warm salads have become more and more popular, to which they also add a little nut grass, which gives a spicy tinge to warm ingredients.
For making drinks
A wonderful hot drink similar to cocoa is prepared from fried tubers of walnut grass. It can be a great healthy coffee substitute. In Spain, the national drink horchata is made from cyperus. It is very easy to prepare and has a specific pleasant taste.
Possible harm and contraindications
However, walnut grass should be used with caution. It has a number of contraindications and can harm health:
- prohibited for treatment of pregnant, lactating women and children;
- only after consultation with a doctor is allowed for people prone to allergies (in case of individual intolerance, the use is excluded);
- only on the recommendation of a doctor for pathologies of the liver, kidneys, organs of the cardiovascular system.
The original spice is worth trying when cooking. However, we should not forget about the possible harm to the body, so it is better to use walnut grass in small doses and infrequently.