Srinagar: A video of an elderly Kashmiri man eating and recommending a raw wild plant ‘abuj’ (rumex obtusifolius) has gone viral on social media.
Though the plant is usually cooked with eggs and is not so commonly eaten, the elderly man’s recommendations have amused netizens. They have also asked others if the chacha’s suggestions were right. Not only has he recommended eating it raw but he also claims it tasted good with fish.
The video title ‘Kya Chacha ka mashwara theek hai’ has been uploaded by several Facebook pages where the elderly man says: “One of the best vegetables without any chemicals. It grows on its own. If you cut it, it still grows wild. It is helpful for controlling sugar. It is a blessing from Allah….recommended to eat with fish.”
Interestingly, abuj is a plant with sour taste and is traditionally used by ‘hakeems’ to treat skin eruptions, boils, burns, blisters and scalds. However, there is no scientific evidence of its benefits when eaten raw even as people have even warned against it being undercooked.
However, netizens have given a thumbs up to the chacha as netizen Iqbal Jan wrote: “Very good advice, organic and best (sic)”.
Another netizen Mohammad Sharif Bhat commented on Facebook: “It is best medicine as per unani medical research…Good advice. (sic)”
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