fat choy

Fat choy grows on the ground in the Gobi Desert and the Qinghai Plateau. Over-harvesting on the Mongolian steppes has furthered erosion and desertification in those areas. The Chinese government has limited its harvesting, which has caused its price to increase.{{Update inline|date=January 2025|?=yes|reason=article cited is from 2007}}

Commercially available fat choy has been found to be adulterated with strands of a non-cellular starchy material, with other additives and dyes.{{cite news |title=The standard.com.hk |url=http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=37176&sid=11956724&con_type=1 |access-date=22 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122003910/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=37176&sid=11956724&con_type=1 |archive-date=November 22, 2007}}{{Cite web |url=http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cyano1.htm |title=Waynesword |access-date=2004-11-07 |archive-date=2004-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041010160055/http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cyano1.htm |url-status=dead }} Real fat choy is dark green in color, while the counterfeit fat choy appears black.

Its name in Cantonese sounds like a Cantonese phrase meaning "struck it rich" (though the second syllable, coi, has a different tone) -- this is found, for example, in the Cantonese saying, "Gung1 hei2 faat3 coi4" (恭喜發財, meaning "wishing you prosperity"), often proclaimed during Chinese New Year. Therefore, it is a popular ingredient for Chinese New Year dishes, such as in the reunion dinner. It is mostly used in Cantonese cuisine and Buddhist cuisine. It is sometimes used as a hot pot ingredient.

Due to its high price, fat choy is considered a luxury food, and only used in limited occasions. It is not eaten as a staple.{{cite journal |last1=Roney |first1=BR |last2=Renhui |first2=L |last3=Banack |first3=SA |last4=Murch |first4=S |last5=Honegger |first5=R |last6=Cox |first6=PA |title=Consumption of fa cai Nostoc soup: a potential for BMAA exposure from Nostoc cyanobacteria in China? |journal=Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis |date=2009 |volume=10 |issue=Suppl 2 |pages=44–9 |doi=10.3109/17482960903273031 |pmid=19929731|s2cid=2893117 }}

N. flagelliforme has no nutritional value,{{dubious|reason=Too absolute, unlikely to be completely devoid of bioavailable nutrients. "No useful value at the amounts eaten and any benefit outweighted by BMAA" is more possible.|date=September 2023}} and also contains beta-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), a toxic amino acid that could affect the normal functions of nerve cells and is linked to degenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and dementia.[http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=37176&sid=11956724&con_type=1 The standard.com.hk. Mimi Lau, January 30, 2007, Ban sought on Lunar delicacy] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071122003910/http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=37176&sid=11956724&con_type=1 |date=November 22, 2007 }} Not all real fat choy samples contain BMAA according to a 2009 study, with the maximum concentration being 658.5 ng/g. Imitation fat choy does not contain BMAA.

Across a 28-day duration, laboratory rats fed N. flagelliforme and the control group did not exhibit significant differences in any toxicological parameters.{{sfn|Takenaka|1998}}

The algae and its extracts reduce the inflammatory action of white blood cells, specifically macrophages and splenocytes, in vitro.{{cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.bbagen.2013.01.018 | title = Edible blue-green algae reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting NF-κB pathway in macrophages and splenocytes | year = 2013 | last1 = Ku | first1 = Lee | journal = Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects | volume = 1830 | issue = 4 | pages = 2981–2988 | pmid=23357040 | pmc=3594481}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite journal |last1=But |first1=Paul Pui-Hay |last2=Cheng |first2=Ling |last3=Chan |first3=Pui Kwan |last4=Lau |first4=David Tai-Wai |last5=But |first5=Joyce Wing-Hin |title=Nostoc flagelliforme and faked items retailed in Hong Kong |journal=Journal of Applied Phycology |date=2002 |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=143–145 |doi=10.1023/a:1019518329032 |bibcode=2002JAPco..14..143B |s2cid=6195505 |language=en |issn=0921-8971}}
• {{cite journal |last1=Takenaka |first1=H. |last2=Yamaguchi |first2=Y. |last3=Sakaki |first3=S. |last4=Watarai |first4=K. |last5=Tanaka |first5=N. |last6=Hori |first6=M. |last7=Seki |first7=H. |last8=Tsuchida |first8=M. |last9=Yamada |first9=A. |last10=Nishimori |first10=T. |last11=Morinaga |first11=T. |title=Safety evaluation of Nostoc flagelliforme (nostocales, Cyanophyceae) as a potential food |journal=Food and Chemical Toxicology (United Kingdom) |date=1 December 1998 |volume=36 |issue=12 |pages=1073–1077 |doi=10.1016/S0278-6915(98)00089-1 |pmid=9862649 |url=http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=GB1999006166 |access-date=22 October 2018 |language=en |issn=0278-6915 |ref=CITEREFTakenaka1998 |archive-date=22 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022232721/http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=GB1999006166 |url-status=dead |url-access=subscription }}

• {{cite web |title=Cyanobacteria Photos |url=http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cyano1.htm |website=waynesword.palomar.edu |access-date=22 October 2018 |archive-date=10 October 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041010160055/http://waynesword.palomar.edu/cyano1.htm |url-status=dead }}
• {{cite news |title=food for thought |url=http://sg.bcmagazine.net/cgi-bin/output.cgi?issue=027&&id=14 |access-date=22 October 2018 |agency=sg.bcmagazine.net |date=1 February 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040201154650/http://sg.bcmagazine.net/cgi-bin/output.cgi?issue=027&&id=14 |archive-date=1 February 2004}}

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Category:Vegetables

Category:Chinese New Year foods

Category:Nostocaceae