Raw cabbage and cauliflower’s safety hazards have been a debated issue for quite a long time. They are a breeding nest to the deadly parasite known as tapeworm.
Very few of us is aware of the fact that green leafy vegetables are a perfect abode for the worms and parasites. These worms and parasites are so small that they cannot be seen by our naked eyes.
Let’s know why how this parasite can be ‘deadly’ for us.
The cabbage insect is hidden too deep in the layers of the cabbage. The larvae and eggs of this parasite are hard-shelled. This makes them resistance to even high temperatures. That’s why tapeworm and its larvae survive even our high cooking temperatures. When we consume the parasite-laden cabbage or cauliflower, tapeworm reaches our brain. In the worst cases, they can be life-threatening.
The cabbage used in Chinese foods is even more dangerous. Chinese foods are not cooked at high temperatures, which makes these foods further unhealthy for us.
What can we do?
It wouldn’t be wise to discard a vegetable completely. A few precautionary measures can eliminate these tiny pests from the vegetable. Wash the leafy vegetables before eating them. Avoid eating raw leafy vegetables, as there would be a higher risk of contamination.
There is an age-old remedy to get rid of pests from cabbage and cauliflower:
Dampen the cabbage or cauliflower and sprinkle some cornmeal over them. The insects will feed on the cornmeal, swell and die.
