Gingko, also named Gongsun Tree or Duck Palm Tree, is a kind of deciduous tree and is regarded as the “living fossil”. The tree can grow up to 40m high. Its leaf is green and fan shaped with no hair. It blossoms in April and May. The flowers are bluish white color and blossoms before the middle night just for a while. There will be tens of seeds on just one twig and these seeds ripe in October. The seeds are orange color.
The tree grows very slowly. It takes over 20 years’ culture to waiting for the seeds and 40 years later can the tree yield abundant. That is also why it is also called Gongsun Tree (Grandpa and Grandson Tree). Grandpa plants the tree and grandson can eat the fruits. The Gingko Tree can live for thousands of years. It is one of the four longevous ornamental tree species.
The seeds of the Gingko have rich nutrition and are very famous health-care food that can slow the aging and help lengthen people's lives. The seed is a kind of specialty of Guilin.
Functions of the Gingko Nuts
The seed of Gingko is a kind of dry nuts. Eating it in right amount you help people keep in good health. The nuts were royal tribute during the Song Dynasty. Japanese people have the habit to eat Gingko nuts every day. Ant the nuts is also the necessary food in the western Charismas day.
The functions of the nuts are: eliminating phlegm, cough-relieving, moistening lung, stopping asthma and so on. As a kind of Traditional Chinese medicine, it has functions on curing Tracheal asthma, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary tuberculosis and some other related disease.
The Gingko nuts must eat in a right amount. It contains hydrocyanic acid toxin, high in toxin. It is easy to be poisoned when eating uncooked. The toxin in the nut will decrease after cooking. Generally speaking, one would feel uncomfortable in 1-12 hours after eating more than ten nuts. To avoid the Gingko poisoning, one should not eat too many gingko nuts and uncooked nuts.
How to eat the nuts:
The Gingko nuts can be: Boiled, Fried, steamed, heated, stewed, braised and other cooking methods.
It is not good to eat too many nuts. Each people could eat 15-30 cooked nuts or 6-10 uncooked nuts.
The nuts could be cooked with beef, mutton, pork or eggs.
Famous Delicious Cuisine in Guilin: Gingko stewed with Old Duck
Tips: Gingko nuts contain hydrocyanic acid toxin. You’d better eat cooked nuts.
Before cooking, get off the embryo and seed leaves, and then, cooked it with clear water. Drain the water after the first cooking in clear water.
