Are we really what we eat, or is that just a fairytale? Tasty or not, food is definitely meant to supply us with energy. Plants are packed with energy in the form of chlorophyll, which is created when plants metabolise energy from the sun. When we eat the plants, our bodies absorb the energy they contain.
The chlorophyll particles in plants have a very similar structure to our red blood cells, which they help to build. Red blood cells carry oxygen around our body, so they determine how fit we feel and how much power we have. They also help wounds to heal faster.
But vegetables can do much more for our body. Each molecule of chlorophyll contains magnesium, which is essential for the brain and muscles. What’s more, chlorophyll can bind heavy metals and purge them due to its chemical structure. This detox effect is the reason why so many green detox teas and smoothies are made from plants. In Germany, familiar chlorophyll vegetables are broccoli, green peppers, cucumber, spinach, rocket, salad, spring onions, leeks and traditional green herbs.
In search of fresh powerfood inspiration, our Powerfood Expert visited Hong Kong, where he combed the markets and visited remote islands. His verdict: in Hong Kong, vegetables are a food staple that belongs in the category of powerfood.
Many of the vegetables are popular as a side dish, or even a main course, in Germany too. These include maize, ginger, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, lemongrass, coriander, soybeans, zucchini, spinach and garlic. Hong Kong also offers other powerfoods that are far less well known, but really tasty, such as pak choi (available from well-stocked Asian markets) mustard greens, okra, Chinese chives, galangal, yam roots, dudhi and water spinach. Our Powerfood Expert took a closer look at water spinach on your behalf.
Water spinach comes from Asia, but is now on the menu in many countries. In its region of origin it counts as a ‘cooling’ foodstuff, and is often combined with ‘warming’ ingredients such as chili, garlic, ginger or fat. Water spinach contains 90% water and is very low in fat and calories. The carbohydrates it contains are complex carbohydrates that hardly raise blood sugar levels, and then only gradually. This makes water spinach easy to digest. You can find this delicious vegetable in Asian supermarkets in Germany. Apart from the milder taste, it’s similar to the spinach that grows here.
Water spinach is traditionally fried, but you can also boil or steam it.
Salmon goes really well with this recipe. Simply spread the spinach and sauce like a bed of herbs on the steamer insert, then drape the fish over it.
Summing up: Hong Kong has a wide range of powerfood vegetables. Since the shopping experience is part of the dining culture, markets are held every day and stay open almost round the clock, so you can buy fresh, regional vegetables daily in any district. Freshness and choice are more of a given than they are in Germany. Since there are no cooling facilities on Hong Kong streets, produce is delivered fresh each day and the stalls stay open until almost everything has been sold.
Expert tip: If you plan to shop for vegetables when on holiday in Hong Kong, buy them early in the morning. Due to the heat and humidity, the quality drops as the day progresses.
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