worm in cabbage

A recent news caught my eye. This did not happen in Udaipur, but taking a lesson we need to be careful while buying vegetables.

This happened in Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh. A family bought cabbage among other vegetables which turned out to be home to a snake family. The lady of the house cut the veggie, cooked and ate. While one of her kids was eating later, he discovered a piece of snake’s tail in the cooked vegetable. All said and done, the family is under medical care and out of danger.

The point of concern is not whether the vegetable was washed before cooking or not. The point is that during the monsoon season, every vegetable needs to be checked twice before using. Leafy vegetables turn out to be homes of insects and now reptiles,too. We must avoid leafy vegetables this season. Even cauliflower and brinjal should be avoided since these are also home to worms. Leafy vegetables are damp and they are highly susceptible to germs. Do not even drink juices from road side. These juice vendors cut fruits well in advance which invite germs. Even while at home, make sure that fruits cut since long are not eaten since they attract flies and bacteria.

Tomatoes have gone beyond budget, but even if you buy, check them well at home before using them as gravy or for salad. Worms develop even in tomatoes during monsoon. There may not be holes on tomato but that doesn’t mean it is free of worms. Slice the tomatoes in proper light and check them for worms.

Leafy vegetables should be avoided most of all as it becomes difficult to check them while buying and you might end up carrying a lot of filth home. Monsoon does bring a lot of contamination with it, it is up to us to be aware and guard ourselves against the dangers.